<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>To Live and Die in L.A.: Book One by Johngoode</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24486421">To Live and Die in L.A.: Book One</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Johngoode/pseuds/Johngoode'>Johngoode</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>To Live and Die in L.A. [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:06:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>40,985</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24486421</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Johngoode/pseuds/Johngoode</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Dean heads out to LA to investigate some missing girls...he runs into a girl that is more than he ever imagined.</p><p>This is Post Buffy and Pre Supernatural, Sam is at Stanford and Dean is working his own cases. The only real thing that's different with Buffy is that there are no potentials still around, it's only Buffy and Faith as active slayers.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Faith Lehane/Dean Winchester</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>To Live and Die in L.A. [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1768837</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>I wonder why I live alone here</p><p>I wonder why we spend these nights together</p><p>Is this the way I’ll live my life forever</p><p>I wonder why in LA</p><p>To live and die in LA</p><p> </p><p>Wang Chung</p><p>To Live in Die in LA</p><p>The problem with L.A. was this; you couldn’t tell who was a genuine monster from the ones who were just a freak. And that was cutting into Dean Winchester’s nocturnal activities significantly.</p><p>He had driven out to California on the rumor that there was a rising disappearance of young women in the greater Los Angeles area and there wasn’t anyone who could just take off and check it out at the time. With Sam off wasting his time at college and his dad off killing something with tentacles in Chicago, Bobby had turned to Dean in the chance the young man might have some time to go down south and check the situation out. For all Bobby knew it was just the typical farm girl moves to Hollywood and decides to become someone else.</p><p>Someone more strippery in Dean’s mind but Bobby said it wasn’t that kind of job.</p><p>Dean had been here for three days and it was SO that kind of job.</p><p>There must be something in the water that makes women look like this all over the place. Walking through Hollywood at night, cruising from club to club it was like a buffet of every type of girl imaginable. Blond hair, dark haired, red headed, blue haired, tall, short, petite, aggressive, giggly fool, all kinds, all of them drop dead gorgeous. So far Dean had been mistaken for a model, a porn star, a spokesman for a cell phone company and some girl had said he looked just like some dweeb on a soap opera she used to watch. And each time Dean had been exactly what the girl has said he was…</p><p>Until the morning.</p><p>But four days and no leads was beginning to grate on young Mr. Winchester’s nerves. Every lead he had dried up with the same story. was new to town, eager to find work. Had found a shitty job at and then decided not to show up to work one day. Her roommate who was a struggling was worried because she needed her half of the rent and it wasn’t like her to just vanish like this.</p><p>Six girls. All from out of town. All missing.</p><p>And the cops were worse.</p><p>Dean already had a pretty low opinion of law enforcement professionals to begin with, but after dealing with the Hollywood police force, he was ready to rate Police Academy as better cops than these bozos. Actually Police Academy was better cause they had that one guy who did the voices and that always cracked Dean up, these guys were just useless. Useless and stupid.</p><p>"Girls like that disappear every day from LA Agent Neil." the cop with the feather blown hair had said "We just can’t waste too much time tracking every single one of them down."</p><p>Bonehead.</p><p>So here it was, night four on the strip. It wasn’t quite cold enough for his jacket but Dean wore it anyways. It gave him just enough of a mystique to have the run of the mill losers leave him alone. No one offered him a flyer or asked him for change, they moved out of his way like ol’ Chuck Heston parting the Red Sea as he strolled through them. Everyone was pretty, everyone wanted to be seen and everyone thought all they needed was a break.</p><p>"You someone?" a camera man said stepping in front of Dean as he walked into one of the more exclusive clubs. Dean looked down and scowled at him "Yeah I’m the guy whose gonna be on the police report as assailant."</p><p>The paparazzi lowered his camera and slunk away.</p><p>Dean steeled himself as he opened the door; it was the same every time.</p><p>The wave of sound that hit him along with the stale, smoky air and heat made him pause each time. He liked his bars a little more homey than this. This was high energy tech crap with shiny, happy people all grinding as they drank 15 dollar drinks pretending to be someone. This was the mermaid bar if Dean remembered, one of the odder themes he had seen on the strip.</p><p>"Private club" the ape in the badly tailored suit growled at the front door. Dean didn’t even look at him as he pulled out his FBI badge and flashed it at him "I’m willing to bet I’m on the list." he said over the music.</p><p>The bouncer stepped aside to let Dean in. Dean pulled out the photo of the girl he was tracking tonight "See this girl?" he said flashing it to him.</p><p>"Seen a lot of girls." the guy said not looking at the picture.</p><p>Dean slowly looked back at him and scowled. Taking a step up to the man’s chest he said "Look at the picture." the man continued to stare at Dean with two dead eyes.</p><p>Dean sighed; there is always one bad apple in the orchard.</p><p>Dean’s hand lashed out and grabbed a vice grip on the man’s junk. The bald bouncer’s eyes grew to the size of saucers as Dean pulled the man down to his eye level and shoved the picture in his face "Look. At. The. Fucking. Picture." he said, almost making the guy swallow it.</p><p>The bouncer, wincing and biting his bottom lip from crying out looked at the picture and shook his head "No…don’t know her!"</p><p>Dean twisted his hand to the right "You sure? Lots of girls come by here. Maybe you better study it for a second." The man whimpered as he looked at the picture again, trying hard to drag out the inspection as long as he could muster.</p><p>"No sir" he said in a high voice "She doesn’t look familiar." Dean looked at him and turned his wrist another quarter turn "But there was another girl in here earlier looking for her!!" he screamed "please let go…PLEASE!"</p><p>Dean let the man go and he collapsed to the ground, both hands over his groin, "Another girl huh?" Dean said tucking the photo back into his jacket. The man growled and began to stand up quickly, his hand moving towards the gun tucked behind his jacket.</p><p>And found himself staring into the barrel of Dean’s pistol. Dean smirked "No offense dude, but mine is bigger than yours." Dean reached over and took the gun out of the frozen man’s hand "You need to learn to loosen up some my man." Dean said tucking the gun into his own jeans "Gonna get you killed stressing like that." Dean leaned down "Turn around, walk out of the club and do not come back tonight." He cocked the pistol "If you do, we’re gonna have words. Got it?"</p><p>The man’s head bobbed up and down as he stared at the gun. Dean gestured the gun towards the door and the man took off in a run. The hunter shook his head and tucked his pistol back into his jacket.</p><p>Hollywood. This town sucks.</p><p>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</p><p>The problem with LA was this; there was never enough to go around. And that was fine in Faith Lehane’s book.</p><p>She had came back to LA because Giles was pretty sure something was up in Tinseltown and since the rest of the Slayerettes weren’t ready for grown up jobs yet, it fell to her or Buffy to look into it. And what were the odds that Princess Power was going to get her hands dirty and come out here and do an actual job? Slim to never. Which meant Faith got to play catch up again. Giles was concerned about the disappearance of a number of girls in the area, his little coven of witches had said there was a great evil lurking in the area and that the girls were the prelude. Faith needed to be on the lookout because they saw a great blah blah rising with blah blahy and end of the blah.</p><p>Witches and watchers: they will talk your ear off.</p><p>So she had spent the last three days walking the strip. Ever since Angel and his crew had folded up their Wolfram and Hart business, LA had been a no man’s land when it came to evil. No one had wanted to try to fill the void the law firm had left after the vampire had brought the branch down. But that was a few years ago and evil waits for no man.</p><p>Which was something Wesley said a lot but she thought it was from a movie. And no matter how cool it may have been originally, anything coming out of Wesley’s mouth was instantly lame. It was a different town than she remembered. The people on it were a lot more brazen, bold. The hustlers and pimps walked with a certain amount of fearlessness that could only come from knowing that the big giant evil law firm that ruled the land was gone and they had nothing to fear but fear itself.</p><p>That and Faith. They now feared Faith.</p><p>Four days, sixteen people in the hospital. She was making a point and she believed it was coming across loud and clear. She was pretty sure this was just another case of some bimbo falling off the bus and into a Poison video and not the harbinger of whatever the hell the Charmed ones were talking about. But when Giles got all flustery and cleaned his glasses at you, nothing to do but take the plane ticket and check out the strip.</p><p>And no one had specifically said do not beat up the pimp and pushers you know?</p><p>So here she was the fourth day and she was coming up snake eyes. All the girls were that same innocent, out of town; everything must be like Pretty Woman kind of vibe. Wanted to make something of themselves and ended up in the deep end of the septic tank called LA. But none of them were into anything heavy. No serious drug users, no hookers, nothing. These girls seemed clean enough, so why them?</p><p>The only thing they had in common were they all came from out of town, they all came here and they all vanished.</p><p>All work and no sex made Faith a dull girl.</p><p>She headed into back into Ariel’s, one of those concept bars where they had girls in the tanks as mermaids. They had these tiny little rebreathers so they could stay under a good long time and management had them dressed up as mermaids, swimming around half naked. Faith never got the allure of mermaids; I mean how far did a guy think they were going to get with a chick that had fish parts below her waist anyways? Not that it mattered, most men never got past their rack, so the thought never actually completed itself.</p><p>She had been in here earlier, before the crowd came in to ask if they had seen one of the girls. She had worked here was a mermaid a few times and Faith thought someone might have seen her recently.</p><p>As she walked in the bouncer was running out, he looked like he was about to cry which shocked the hell out of Faith, after all that guy was almost seven feet tall. It was going to be one of those nights. She smiled as she pushed the doors open.</p><p>Hollywood. She loved this town.</p><p>There is a not so subtle line between a bar and a club to Dean. At the ripe old age of 22 he had experienced many a dive in his life. He had learned early on it was less about what you looked like and more about how you carried yourself that mattered in getting into a place or not. Fake ID’s helped, but a good healthy walk was better. As Dean strutted through the place he could see heads turning. LA may be a slime sucking hole devoid of all things cool in life, but it knew pretty when it saw it.</p><p>And Dean Winchester was pretty.</p><p>As he slid up to the bar and leaned over to order a beer he knew the way his jacket would climb up slightly and his jeans would drag just a bit. He knew exactly the angle of his knee to hit to make sure the line of flesh that was exposed was just enough to garner a look, but not enough to make people turn away. He liked the line of cut muscle that flared out at his hip just above his frayed jean waistline, and he had found other people liked it too.</p><p>"Beer" he said over the thumping monotone they were calling music "In a bottle." he added.</p><p>The bartender arched an eyebrow and grabbed a Bud from the cooler, expertly twisting the cap off and dressing it with a napkin all in one motion. The man held up both hands showing all his fingers to Dean. Dean’s face scrunched into disbelief, this buy better think I am going to give him ten high before I give him ten bucks for a beer.</p><p>"It’s on me." a voice said next to him. A male voice.</p><p>Dean sighed and turned to tell the fruit he didn’t need to have his drinks bought for him and he wasn’t just barking up the wrong tree, he might be in the wrong forest at this point. When he paused.</p><p>The man wore a mean suit.</p><p>"Lindsey" he said holding out his hand "And drinks are always free for law enforcement and anyone who makes my doorman cry." the man waved his hand at the bartender and he moved off quickly without comment.</p><p>"Your doorman?" Dean said taking a long drag of the beer "You own this place?"</p><p>"I own a lot of places." the man said flashing that dazzling smile "And you’ve been to a lot of them in the past few days."</p><p>Dean nodded as he finished the beer "Yeah, working a job." he said flagging the bartender for another. At ten buck a pop Dean figured he might as well get as many free as he could now.</p><p>"You’re looking for the lost girls." the man said in a voice just low enough for Dean to hear. Dean paused and looked over to the bar owner slowly.</p><p>"Good guess" he said without a grin "She used to work here."</p><p>"A lot of girls work here." Lindsey said quickly "A lot of powerful people come in here. See a pretty girl in a tank, next thing you know…"</p><p>"…she’s missing with no leads." Dean finished for him. "I’m beginning to wonder if there’s a pattern here Mr…?"</p><p>"..McDonald." the man said still smiling "And you’re Dean Winchester."</p><p>Dean stopped, freezing his face as he felt the blood drain from his face. He hadn’t given his true name to anyone so far. He had been working the FBI angle all the way to the crappy motel room he rented. There was no way this guy could have made him unless he had been watching him as well. "Who?"</p><p>Lindsey shook his head and said "You remind of an old friend of mine. He was never good at lying either." he got closer to Dean "Girls disappear all the time in LA Dean, can I call you Dean?" he said moving an arm around Dean’s shoulder "It’s a dangerous town and there isn’t much anyone can do about it."</p><p>Dean growled as he shrugged the man’s hand off "I can do something about it."</p><p>Lindsey’s smile wavered slightly "See. Now you sound JUST like that old friend of mine. He was too stupid to know when he was over his head also."</p><p>Dean felt, rather than saw the four men surround him. They had moved through the crowd as professionals, the hunter had to give them credit for that. He moved away from the bar, giving himself as much fighting room as he could grab in a place like this. He balled his hands into fists and looked right at the man in the suit.</p><p>"You’re getting hit first." Dean said with a smirk.</p><p>Lindsey’s eyes widened for a moment and then suddenly someone rushed between Dean and the man in a blur. Dean saw the back of a smoking hot chick lean into the bar and say something to Lindsey into his ear. From where Dean was standing, she could have been reading the phone book and it would have been hot. Dean saw the now not smiling at all man look at her as she looked back with a predatory smile. Loosening his tie he looked over to the men and screamed "Do something!?"</p><p>"Aw crap" Dean said turning with his fists up. And stood there dumbfounded as the men moved past him and rushed the girl.</p><p>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</p><p>Faith loved places like this.</p><p>The beat, the moving, the people. All of it was like an electric wire on her tongue making her shiver all over in all the right ways. She grinded more than walked her way through the crowd, enjoying the stares of stark lust that followed her as she made her way across the bar. LA may be a slime sucking hole devoid of all things cool in life, but it knew hot when it saw it.</p><p>And Faith was hot.</p><p>She moved onto the dance floor, raising her arms as she danced just the right height so the leather vest she wore pulled up from the leather pants, exposing a perfect trail of skin between her waist and navel. Just enough to allure, not enough to look cheap. She knew the dance floor was watching her, and she was fine with that. Grinding up against the closest hot guy she could find Faith took a look around the bar for the man she was looking for.</p><p>Lindsey McDonald.</p><p>Former lawyer to Wolfram and Hart, lost a hand in action and came back pretending to be someone in Angel’s crew for a while. He made Spike believe he was a champion with a soul and ended up helping Angel out the night they decided to take down Wolfram and Hart. The word was at the time he had been killed, left for dead by one of Angel’s men. But word on the street there was a new power in town, a power that brought Lindsey back. Which meant Faith needed to talk to him.</p><p>Faith stopped dancing as she saw the guy he was talking to.</p><p>Way too hot to be in this type of bar he was young, not past 23, dirty blond hair, eyes she could see were almost green from here wearing a jacket that just screamed fuck me with a pair of jeans that were actually worn in and not bought that way, and a pair of boots that looked like they had seen just about every two bit motel this side of the Rockies. The way he stood there, talking to Lindsey, drinking that beer…</p><p>Faith shivered slightly for a second. Whatever Lindsay had gotten himself into, he had ran across a whole new level of hotness when it came to friends. The guy she had been dancing with moved up behind her, not dissuaded one bit by her lack of participation anymore. Without even turning around Faith grabbed the man’s crotch and squeezed "Not now. Momma’s gotta go to work."</p><p>She let the man go and he collapsed crying on the dance floor. As she moved forward Faith saw the four men moving up on the hot guy in a very professional manner. Whoever this guy was, he wasn’t a friend of Lindsey, or at least he wouldn’t be for long.</p><p>Common sense told Faith to leave it alone. Common sense told her that she needed to keep a low profile and by exposing her presence this early would compromise her mission. Common sense told her the moment Lindsey knew she was in town was the moment her job got harder. Common sense told her all this and more but Faith had only one thought as she rushed towards the bar.</p><p>That guy was too hot to let get messed up by those guys.</p><p>Moving in right next to the former lawyer Faith leaned in and was rewarded by his panicked face looking at her in shock. she whispered in her ear "Hey Lindsey, Angel wanted me to come by and ask why you’re taking all those girls?"</p><p>She pulled back and saw the pale look on his face and the tell tale signs of shock and fear run through his system. She smiled slightly "Damn, I was right?" she thought as Lindsey called out to his men "Do something!"</p><p>She heard the hot guy mutter something as the men rushed her. She spun towards them and felt her blood start to pump. God she loved this part so much.</p><p>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</p><p>Dean watched as the hot chick swung around and kicked one of the guys across the bar with a single kick. He was entranced by the way the leather jeans moved with her as she brought her leg down and blocked the next man’s strike easily, grabbing the man’s wrist and spinning him off the ground and onto his back like a child. The other two came rushing at her and she put a hand on each of their chests. Dean thought they were going to crush her like a paper bag and rushed to pull them off when he saw her grunt slightly and absorb their charge by barely flexing he elbows. She flashed a wicked looking grin as she pushed and the two grown apes went flying away, feet completely off the ground.</p><p>They both came crashing down with a thud as dean looked in shock. She turned and with a smile said "Come with me if you want to live." Dean stopped and then cocked his head as she held out her hand "Come on, seriously."</p><p>Dean put his hand in hers, they were rough, callused from use; not smooth and unused like most chicks. Lindsey roared at his men as they rushed out of the club, Faith pulled Dean to the right and down the strip as police sirens wailed in the distance.</p><p>"Come on! This way." she called running down a back alley and over a fence. Dean kept pace trying not to get lost in those leather pants. About six blocks later they stopped, hands on knees panting as they tried not to laugh.</p><p>Faith let out a whoop as she leaned against the wall, the night air felt incredible against her skin. Dean looked up and tried not to drool as he watched her stretch. "You know how to fight." Dean said after a few seconds.</p><p>She nodded "Yep, comes with the job."</p><p>"I had em." he added after a second. Faith tried not to laugh as she nodded.</p><p>"Dean" he said holding out his hand.</p><p>"Faith" she said taking it.</p><p>"This normal for LA?" he asked.</p><p>"Normal?" she said with a smile "Hell this is 5 by 5."</p><p>He didn’t know what that meant, but he had to agree.</p><p>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</p><p>All his life, well after losing his mom, and that might as well be counted as 'all'- Dean had been told to trust his instincts. To look past the packaging and distractions and pay attention to what was real. Except, Los Angeles was really the place for illusion- and delusion. Everyone agreed to cater to the same lies and maybe it was tulpa central and that group mentality meant reality went slightly to the left on its side. The tulpa sigil of L.A., Dean had decided, was the Hollywood sign. The symbol that pulled people in and made them desire celebrity so intensely that they sold their souls and their bodies in equal measure just to 'make it', no matter how far they went. But, he was thinking that the girl in front of him panting and gleaming, was not a model/starlet/waitress. He could not picture her taking orders from anyone really, let alone a hungry customer in a diner. No, she was some other animal. He just was not sure what. He squinted at her and by now, Sam would have been rolling his eyes and walking away to go do 'real work' like the Spock to Dean's 'I'll fuck their female leader' Kirk. Which was just how nature had made him. Wasn't his fault that he had a skill set that involved his jeans coming off. He noticed something else too.</p><p>She didn't have a mark on her. Not so much as a red imprint from their tussle, her knuckles weren't bruised either.</p><p>He tried to calm his brain down, remembering she was not punching the guys- she was pushing. Out and away. Because she was such a big chick that that made sense. No, he was right the first time. This was not your average girl. Her strength was not matching her size. She wasn't bulked up. Like himself, she was fit, streamlined but not bulging with muscle. Tight. Real tight. He was only human and she was in leather.</p><p>Hot girl in leather.</p><p>Dean felt she deserved a chance to explain herself before he went off half-cocked and decided she was a monster to kill.</p><p>"How do you know that guy? Mr. Eye Fuck?"</p><p>Faith chuckled at his question and totally noticed when he tugged at his jeans, letting them grip his hips and hide that cut of muscle she had been admiring covertly.</p><p>"He is a friend of a friend."</p><p>"Really." He did not sound convinced, and her smile cemented his doubts. "He didn't seem to care for you."</p><p>"That's how my friends are most of the time. Look, you weren't his date to prom, right? He was ordering his linebackers to make you into paste before I turned up and caught the same shit. So if you were in there bugging him instead of offering to get his sheets dirty, maybe we have something in common besides getting thrown out of bars."</p><p>Lips curling in the corners, Dean shook his head and fell in step next to her, not surpassing her stride- which was polite.</p><p>"I'm going to let it pass, the sheets thing- I am way too adventurous to bother with beds."</p><p>Her grin his way was good stuff and he licked over his lips.</p><p>"What are you after, Faith?"</p><p>She huffed a laugh and turned to him suddenly, hands slamming to his shoulders and pushing him to the brick wall of the alley. She liked that. Faith could see in his eyes the decision not to end her little powerplay. Dean was letting her shove him, for the moment. Her Slayer side wanted to play and he was a big lovely toy. Just, there might be more and she needed to do what Giles said- at least make an effort. Shacking up with this pretty boy was not on the Brit's to-do list.</p><p>"I am working here, Dean. Can't you tell?"</p><p>She let her hips rock to his in a playful push, but she had to admit, it felt nice. He felt nice. "Looking for dead girls or where they're going to 'get' dead..." her eyes twinkled at the way his face froze in place. She had called his bluff and he'd blinked first "Still want in my pants?"</p><p>His eyes seemed like windows that slammed shut an instance before his arms shot up and shoved hers away from him. He was smiling, but it was not the friendliest thing she had ever seen. "Who said I wanted in your pants? I can get what you're carrying anywhere easy." he said casually "I'm sure the Rock of Love bus has a 2:35 that comes by this corner."</p><p>The smirk he gave back almost made her gasp but she controlled the urge. He was arrogant. Insulting. Sort of a DICK really. She might have to have some. Twice.</p><p>"Not like I got it, blondie. But if we're talking shop..." her voice was steady, none of the previous playing was there any more. This guy was in over his head...that was kind of hot in a kitteny sort of way.</p><p>"Then yeah, I'm looking into the missing girls too." Dean could accede that point, resting his hands to his hips in a falsely careless gesture. He was still primed if she made a move. He was not going to be her trophy kill that she used to kick off her night. She wasn't taking him seriously and that was a mistake she was only going to make once "You seen any of them?"</p><p>"No, but I still call 'dead'. They aren't exactly ransom types." She studied him, letting her eyes do the walking her fingers might've enjoyed. She could not tell if he was armed and carrying, but some niggling in her gut said yeah, he would be. Just, he carried off the 'don't mind me' look pretty solid. Clothes loose in the right places and tight everywhere else. Boot maybe? She lifted her eyes to his. "They've been gone long enough, and there's so many that I can't see someone taking the time to keep them. There's no need here. Not in L.A., the turnover rate for fresh meat is epic. They arrive by bus, plane or train real regular. Tripping over young corn-fed innocents, know what I mean?"</p><p>"Yeah." Dean frowned, but not because he disagreed. He was just of a mind that there were monsters every where and plenty of people that didn't know better. You didn't have to be from the country or some small town to be taken down and used. Left like trash alongside the road. It happened all over the place and a college degree or fancy car didn't matter to a hungry predator. Just more wrapping paper. They'd tear it away to get to you as soon as look at you. "This Lindsey guy, he do any pimping?"</p><p>"Ah." She smiled, liking how his mind worked, he was still thinking in normal boxes. "I'd hazard to guess if Lindsey had his hand in prostitution it'd be through someone else. He's smart like that. He knows a guy that knows a guy, understand? Never the one running the lemonade stand upfront..."</p><p>Dean nodded, thinking of how polished Lindsey had seemed. How Lindsey had know his real name. That was not good. If anything, it made his trigger finger burn. His dad would bust his ass if he shot some human just for smelling him out, but a young blood like Dean had to remember to do things longhand sometimes. To keep his head and not take the easy route. Since the suit was human. That sucked. He lifted a hand to grip his nape, thinking of how Sam would do on this. Sam could probably have sold the doorman cookies and gotten information all without making waves. Dean was not as good at that earnest thing.</p><p>"There was nothing linking the girls. From what I've seen. They are just random. Seem to be. New to town, needing money, no records. Alone."</p><p>"You can be alone and not be anyone's dinner." Faith murmured. She hissed over her teeth and shook her head, feeling a sense of derision wanting to well up over all the wanna-be movie stars ending up drugged or dead. Playing on the ends of puppet strings. They only had themselves to blame as far as she was concerned. Yet here she was. Trying to put out another fire. At least the scenery was getting a whole lot better. Dean was sex on legs and she had a feeling he knew how to use what he had. Could take a hit too. "I didn't see anything special about them either. That might be why they're picked. Take ones no one is going to miss. Except for you to be here...I'm guessing someone's raising a stink?"</p><p>He half-nodded, because one of the girls was the niece of Brooker Teagues- and Brooker was a hunter and friend to Pastor Jim. Jim called Bobby, and there you go. Dean's in Los Angeles trying to find the girl, and pretty sure already she was a goner. Still, he had told Bobby he'd figure it out and that meant something to Dean. "And you?"</p><p>She flashed a fake smile at him, the first fake anything she had used in the night "Just the wrong girl in the wrong place at the right time." she said seductively.</p><p>His eyebrow was set on stun as he just stared at her for a full five seconds,his face letting know beyond a shadow of a doubt he hadn't bought the brush off. Instead he moved on, mentally putting a mark to the side. That was one. "The police aren't even pretending to look-" he began.</p><p>"No money in it." Faith responded, shrugging. "It's just how it is, Dean."</p><p>He should say he knew that, because he did know the score- but in his head and heart, California- as a whole- was not just some state anymore. It was where Sam was living, and trying to be Joe College- and hence, it could be Sam missing and no one looking because Dean sure as hell wasn't made of money- but anyone that touched his brother was going to meet him under some extreme terms soon after. Sammy, shit why was he thinking about that now? He heard his stomach growl and glanced around at the glowing lights advertising all sorts of gastric adventures. None of them said pie though.</p><p>"Hungry?"</p><p>Looking at the sweep of his eyelashes over eyes that were far from innocent, she smiled. "Starving. You paying?"</p><p>He laughed, and met her eyes. "Sorta. I am the one using the credit card."</p><p>"Gotcha." She led him to the pizzeria and he paused. She looked back at him with an eyebrow of her own.</p><p>"Is there somewhere that sells pie around?" he asked "Doesn't have to be great pie just...</p><p>"Pie. Cause even bad pie is still kinda good" she finished smiling.</p><p>"Kinda like sex." he said flashing a grin back.</p><p>She moved back towards him "Well I don't know Dean....I've never had just kinda good sex before. What's it like?"</p><p>She saw him swallow as he struggled to concentrate on keeping his clothes on. In a low growl he said "Pie?"</p><p>She actually laughed out loud at that, not many flesh and blood boys ever resisted that stare. She nodded "Come on there bucky, House of Pies is down the street."</p><p>"House of ??" he stammered as he followed.</p><p>She looked over her shoulder "Whole House. Of Pies Dean." she looked forward and kept walking that walk which he was sure was illegal in about thirty states. She raised her hands as she stretched "Don't you just love LA?"</p><p>He watched her walk and nodded "It's growing on me."</p><p>As they got to the Denny's like structure she whispered to him "Don't worry about the fake credit card, I won't rat you out. After all, I'm the ex-con here."</p><p>That almost made him stumble before he was whistling low. "Oh yeah? Were you someone's bitch?"</p><p>She looked back and him and in mocked anger said "No Dean. You're the bitch here."</p><p>He smiled back as she walked in "Jerk."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Part Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The body was not injured, untouched and this was reassuring. It was a nice body. Good, sturdy form, well maintained and clean. This Lindsey had taken very good care of himself. Of course, he was still in residence, if shoved to much smaller accommodations inside the meat. No matter. He was being useful and a human could not ask for more than that. The lucky ones could be changed by vampirism, lycanthropy or a good twisted spell but most of them? Hairless monkeys that were once a child god's favored pets. Now they were running loose and wild, untended and haggard. Mortals were no longer the shining creations, close to the light of perfection and His glory. Cast out and shamed, they still made gestures at being something more but the truth was? Mankind was a crap shoot. If they were not still carrying elements of Grace, why, the earth would be turned over to the Fallen and their progeny. A new kingdom could rise.</p><p>Thinking it over, the demon hummed faintly as one of his bodyguards was fixing the dislocated shoulder of the other. The loud pop sounded in the backroom, causing the demon to glance over at a pained yelp.</p><p>"Cheer up. If I had been hurt, you'd be armless right now. Oh it sounds like you'd die swiftly, but I have this thing about prolonging agony. You really appreciate being allowed to die when you're only granted increments of mercy before choking in your own filth." he flashed a grin that looked like a shark's as he finished with "Believe me, you'd have a whole new outlook on the sweetness of just taking a bullet to the brain."</p><p>Chuckling as if it should be funny to everyone in the room, the demon sighed. "Ah." He waved a hand dismissively. "Go outside and tell the others to check the block and be thorough. If our lovely guests do decide to come back by, let's try not to be caught with our privates hanging out this time? A little professionalism, gentlemen. Pretend you've hit women before. Especially you, Malloy. I mean, no offense. Tending your elderly mother had to be tedious and she was whining for so long that night. It was almost like... it was meant to be, yes?" He enjoyed watching the burly man curl and uncurl his fist as he contemplated beating his boss to death before finally sighing and giving up.</p><p>The sound of a soul being broken, like a symphony to one such as he.</p><p>Pale as bad milk, the bodyguards left the room, one needing to relieve his suddenly overfull bladder.</p><p>Opening his desk drawer, the man extracted a goblet, a bag of blood and a sharp knife that looked hungry for some play. The demon kissed the edge of the blade and it shivered to full wakefulness in his grip. He bit the nozzle off the sack of blood, spitting the plastic to the side. Upending the packet of O negative, he wrinkled his nose at the clotting. Room temp, what could you do? Bad enough he had a slayer and hunter sniffing around. Start talking warm bodies to make a simple call and lord knows who would show up. He tapped the side of the hammered silver goblet and muttered.</p><p>"I know you don't think I am paying laymen's rates here."</p><p>Swirling the knife tip in the blood, he was soon hearing a low static buzzing, like a million insects droning and crawling over one another.</p><p>Hell's version of muzak. He was on hold.</p><p>Because someone was upset.</p><p>Yellow eyes blazed in the center of the blood before a black column of smoke arose, carrying those eyes to a hovering height. It was all dripping with symbolism but some things fathers could not help. No matter how long he lived, his father would always be dominating him in one way or another. It was the demon way, and widely accepted. They always were shouldering and posturing at one another. Especially because Azazel never trusted anyone. The yellow eyed demon was not able to lay down his allegiance fully and take anyone into his confidence and understand what could be gained from such a bond.</p><p>Which might be for the best, since his son hated him even more than he hated his son.</p><p>Other times, it was just the need to have what Azazel had and be the one in charge.</p><p>Pole position, if you will, might be enough to even the playing field into something like a union of trust but only until Azazel realized he wasn't top fiddle. Then it would all fall apart again.</p><p>"You let a prospect go." the cup said.</p><p>The words were a hiss that hurt the human's ears, and they bled in a faint trickle that annoyed the demon under the skin.</p><p>"Please, mind your frequency, father."</p><p>"I want to flay you and hear your explanations between death rattles."</p><p>"However."</p><p>Prompted by his son, the yellow eyed demon's black mist form swelled out like a cobra's hood and then crackled with energy.</p><p>"However," Azazel whispered, "You have had some success thus far. You have detained... interesting 'maybes'. That is... something."</p><p>"Stop, you'll make me blush."</p><p>Growling low, Azazel snapped out at his child, host or not, and watched the human's face heat and burn before there was the scent of bacon. He withdrew the lash of power and was dimly proud of his offspring for not making a sound of weakness.</p><p>"Lapidibus, the one that came directly into your nest walked right back out again."</p><p>"Yes. I was dealing with a Winchester at the time. Extenuating circumstances. Samuel's brother, you know."</p><p>Azazel was considering, not liking this turn of events. Winchesters. He still wished that he had managed to gut John Winchester at the very least. Slow down his tutelage of his sons. Dean. That boy was coming along far too well in his studies, going to exceed his father. Going to be a thorn in Hell's side. However, Sam had left his family. Come closer to the new hellmouth they were working on springing open, and that had a homey feeling to it that Azazel found... well he assumed that was pleasure. It was hard to tell when one was in Hell.</p><p>"He might come back. If he does I want him held. I think he would make a lovely addition to the fold. Sam might rethink his allegiances if he saw Dean was someone's mount."</p><p>Lapidibus leaned forward, concern in his eyes. "I have an idea. He might better serve as a dead example, father. Sent to the bowels of Hell rather than kept alive in any way. Once he is baptized by blood and fire, he could be dredged up as incentive for Samuel...but alive..."</p><p>The eyes looked at his son and he felt Lindsey's spine buckle like it was turning in on itself. He bit through his bottom lip as he felt his human insides begin to do back flips, moving into positions they were never meant to make. "That thing you just did." the voice said "The thing where you interrupted me and then offered a suggestion?"</p><p>He nodded as he felt blood flowing up his throat in an unnatural manner.</p><p>"Don't." the eyes said. For a moment the pain was an intensive as ever and then it vanished. He dropped to the desk, panting in pain as his father continued "I have told you what I want. Do you need to write this down, or do you think you have it?"</p><p>How could freefloating eyes the color of bile seem so superior? The smirk was implied and carried across the planes to reach with accuracy. Head still on the desk he shook his head and coughed out a barely understandable "I have it, father."</p><p>"Good. I want the Slayer that you lost. I want her intact...wrapped up nice and neat next to my pet Winchester. Are we understood?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"There now. That wasn't so hard. I knew you had potential."</p><p>He sat there for a long time, feeling his wounds heal slowly. Family. Sometimes there was no dealing with them.</p><p>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</p><p>"So what's your damage?" she asked between the second and third slice of pie. She could not help wondering. He was not visibly boasting any scars that would give away what he did to get his rocks off. There was no stench on him that said he was anything's toy in a supernatural way. But he was deep into the underbelly of things most people would happily bypass. He wasn't a Slayer, so why the hell was he in this line of work? Had to be something.</p><p>Dean stopped, fork hovering in front of his mouth "daaagme?"</p><p>She nodded and took another sip of coffee "Uh huh. Can't tell me a well rounded, all American boy heads out to scary LA in search of a girl he doesn't know for kicks." she leaned towards him and smiled "You're fucked up. I was just curious to how much."</p><p>Dean swallowed and smiled "All American huh?" he took a sip of coffee himself "You have me mistaken for my brother."</p><p>Her eyes shot up "There's more like you at home?" she whistled "Damn." She smiled, imagining that brother of his, and maybe secretly thinking it could be too much of a good thing. Hell, where would a girl look? How would you concentrate. Especially if they both had the shoulders.</p><p>He smirked "Ain't no one like me anywhere." he slid the plate away from him "But then you knew that watching my ass all the way down the street.</p><p> </p><p>She swept up a brow, thinking he did plenty of watching himself. But Dean liked to call people out, and she got that. She really did. Rattling cages was her middle name. Still, maybe she needed to shake loose of him before she started worrying about his cute can and slipped up. No sense getting attached, even if it was biteable as all hell.</p><p>Her hesitation was momentary, but he saw it as she gestured at the waiter. "You didn't answer my question."</p><p>For a moment, she was assailed with thinking of all the ways people would bail on you the second they saw what you really were underneath. It seemed like, when she was compared to Buffy no matter what she did or what freaking Barbie Buffy did she was the bad one. Buffy was the Madonna, she was the slut. No middle ground. Because there had to be the bad example, right? But still, you needed something done throw Faith at it because no matter what happens, you can't lose. She smiled grimly and had a deluge of things she was not going to be sharing with pretty boy here.</p><p>He leaned forward this time "No. I didn't." She looked back over the table and his eyes were locked onto her. In a low voice he asked "Come on Faith, what's your damage?" he waggled his eyebrows "You show me yours and I'll show you mine."</p><p>She stared a second too long, and he could tell he pushed the wrong button somewhere. Her fake smile came back and she stood up. "Bored now." She tossed some bills on the table "Have fun with your hunt Captain America."</p><p>He couldn't help but notice the view as she walked out.</p><p>He pulled out his wallet and threw some bills down himself as he raced after her. This job was getting weirder and weirder</p><p>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</p><p>He caught up with her half a block away. He grabbed her shoulder and almost instantly regretted it. She spun around on her heel like she meant to swing. He could tell by her posture alone she not only knew how to fight, but how to win. And from the way she tossed those lugs around in the bar, he wasn't overly thrilled to be on the receiving end of one of her punches.</p><p>He held his hands up "Whoa nelly. I come in peace." he said smiling "You wanna slow down?"</p><p>Her face was still smiling but he could see the hardness behind it. He knew because he had seen the same hardness behind his own eyes "Look Dean. You're hot." he smiled "And you know it. And any other time I'd ride you like a naughty horse." his smile got wider "But this is a serious job and serious people are involved. So do us both a favor and just leave it to me ok? I'll find your girl and let you know when you can report in mission accomplished or whatever."</p><p>To her own ears, she heard 'bitch' but he didn't know she was willing to do him a favor. He could rake in the glory for all she cared. She just wanted to get it done. Another 'wasn't Faith almost good that time' file in the Watchers' headquarters. A big thick file they could roll up real tight some day and shove in tight places. Just, Dean was not blushing and tripping over his feet and falling back. He was holding his ground.</p><p>His smile was now just as fake "Leave it to you? Cause you're a super hero in your spare time." his voice got low "Cause if you have a magic lasso I'd love to get tied up sometime..."</p><p>She wanted to take some of the wind out of his sails. Let him feel how she meant what she said. It would be a shame to mess up his face, but she could do some light bruising and maybe he would get the hint.</p><p>Dean would swear to his dying day he must have blinked or something. Because one second she was standing there sneering at him and the next his arm was behind his back and her voice in his ear "This isn't a game Dean, this is..."</p><p>The sound of her nose popping was as erotic as it was violent. Dean's head slammed back into her face as his elbow came into her gut. He began to throw her over his shoulder, noting somewhere in the back of his mind that this girl weighed as much as he did. But the throw was never finished.</p><p>He got her halfway over his shoulder when he felt her feet touch the wall behind them and press off of it. He felt them both start to go sideways as she lept over him and landed to his left now on the sidewalk. He actually turned to look at her as her foot went lashing out at him, it was through pure instinct that he grabbed her foot and used it as leverage to throw her against the wall.</p><p>Faith bit the end of her tongue and tasted her blood from a new source. When he had busted her nose, she had grudgingly praised him silently. What did it say about her that she was so turned on by his quickly reciprocated violence? Bricks bit into her shoulders and he was still coming. Good boy.</p><p>She slammed into the wall hard and he held onto her leg as he pressed it up towards her, hoping to use it to keep her pinned there. It was a good plan, solid plan, one of those plans that would have worked if he wasn't fighting a slayer</p><p>She extended her leg and actually threw him back with wide eyes. She came off the wall with a fist back to throw when she heard the gun cock in her face. He stood there, hand as steady as any she had ever seen, barrel of the gun pressed to her eye. "Stop" he said through bated breath "Just stop"</p><p>She actually smiled and pressed her eye harder into the gun. She liked how cool he was about this, no matter the public place. Dean was used to working things out however he had to. It was written all over him that it was not his first time to have a gun to someone's head. "Gonna shoot me Dean? You up for ending it?" She licked over her lips, tasting copper and her lip gloss. She was in her element, even if she was not controlling anything in the moment. Dean saw the glimmer in her other eye and he paused. "Come on farm boy." She said dangerously "Do it.</p><p>Very carefully and slowly Dean uncocked the gun and pulled it back. He continued to stare at her, never blinking once. As he tucked the gun away he looked at her and said "And that's your damage huh?" he nodded "Good enough." She stopped looking at him as he stood up a bit straighter and said "My mom was killed when my brother was six months old by a yellow eyed demon who threw her on the ceiling and burned her to death in front of my dad. Me and my brother were raised on the road as hunters, saving people hunting things." he sighed "The family business. I'm not here as a friend to the family I am here on a job. Now I am going to go find out where those girls went with or without you. And if you are so keen on getting yourself killed..." he half smiled "...it really will slow me down." He held out his hand to her while she looked at him like a shocked animal "What you say Faith? How about we do it together?"</p><p>This was the same guy that had just bashed her face and brought out the iron but now he was talking like he might prefer she not be graveyard filler. She didn't get it. He had to be hurting some from their fight and yet, he was not overcompensating by pissing on her boots or acting like it was worse coming from a chick. She didn't get him. But she wanted to know what made him tick. Hunters. He had said he was raised as a hunter but he was not the hapless human version of a hunter she had seen from time to time. The religious zealots that were just sure that there were really evil creatures in the world and went off half cocked to get themselves killed. Even Buffy's 'Scooby Gang'? Just a bad idea. Humans could not imagine what they were chasing down and when they got a glimpse, it was usually right before they became dinner. She pushed away from the wall, eyeing his hand like it was the truest threat he had revealed to her. Moving past him a few steps, she paused, looking back. She just stood there and stared as she wondered. Where the hell did this guy come from?</p><p>"Walk with me, talk with me."</p><p>She set the pace, eyes moving nonstop to make sure the rooftops and alleyways were clear, no goons in readiness to pounce. When she felt like they were truly alone, she glanced his way again. Mostly, she looked at his profile, the streetlights not touching them as they kept to pockets of shadow.</p><p>"We can do this together... but I think you should know... "</p><p>She just wasn't sure how to say it, and wondered if she completely meant it. She should mean it. It was the only way to be effective, and she was here for a reason. Not to make friends.</p><p>"You're responsible for yourself, Dean. I'm not going to shed a tear if you get ganked so don't think we're friends here. It's a shared interest gig. That's it. You'll get yours, I get mine."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Part Three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You're responsible for yourself, Dean. I'm not going to shed a tear if you get ganked- so don't think we're friends here. It's a shared interest gig. That's it. You'll get yours, I get mine."</p><p>Those words kept bouncing around in his head like one of those popcorn makers as they walked. Man wouldn't popcorn hit the spot right now? She talked like a cop but walked like a criminal or at least that ass should be against the law. He couldn't believe she was a badge for many reasons, the first being she hadn't once asked for his and second...no cop was that hot. But still, she talked like this was a case, or a job. If she was a hunter he had never heard of her, cause if he had heard of her he would have come to LA a lot sooner than this. Whoever she was, Faith was more than just a mystery, she was Dean's quest.</p><p>"So now what?" he asked after a few blocks "Not that I mind the view and all but is there a particular trail of breadcrumbs you following or we just walking around for fun?" The pie was keeping Dean pretty content for now. He wasn't bitching about the urban hike, just wanted some answers.</p><p>She didn't even look back. "Friend of mine runs a club not far from here. He might know something."</p><p>He looked around and wasn't overjoyed with the neighborhood. There was bad and there was this place, but he followed anyways, anywhere she could go he would follow. "What kind of friend?"</p><p>She flashed him a grin. He was cute when he was stubborn, which was an easier way of saying Dean was usually cute as hell. "The kind that knows stuff."</p><p>They cut across an abandoned parking lot, ducking under a hole in the chain link and he saw the lights. It was a gaudy looking sign that proudly proclaimed it as "Clem's Oyster and Music bar"and under it in flashing lights "Home of Oxygen Source". As Faith opened the door Dean asked "What the hell is Oxygen Source?" She just smiled and pulled the door open.</p><p>"I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you." came warbling out "I know you were right believing for so long."</p><p>Dean's face scrunched up like he had smelt something vile as he stopped at the threshold "Air Supply? The place has an Air Supply cover band?"</p><p>She just shrugged "The clientèle love it." she said not waiting for him. Sighing deeply he walked in and tried to ignore the music.</p><p>The music was crap, she knew that, but whatever kept the infernal jolly was good enough for her. At least it wasn't Celine night. There was something about tentacled drag queens belting out Celine Dion that had given Faith cold chills. Though that one with the wax face sounded JUST like her.</p><p>The bar was pretty well packed for a weeknight. The lights were low and the band was loud, too loud for Dean's taste; then again they were singing Air Supply so they could be whispering in the corner and he would have been yelling Freebird! with his lighter out. Faith walked up to the bar with a swagger Dean could only admire. There were two dangerous looking guys standing on either side of her, but as she put one foot on the bar, they both slowly moved away from her as if she was on fire. Dean had never seen anything like it before, if he had been one of them he would have been halfway down her top easily. He moved up beside her and took a seat, he saw most of the bar looking at them in what could only be described as shock. The band even paused for a half a second before going back into their horrible rendition.</p><p>She felt the eyes on them, some of those eyes on stalks or just floating in the dark. No big deal. It wasn't like demons were all tightlipped about themselves. After three beers they were like an episode of Golden Girls with better skin and that was when the information flowed. They loved to dish and they always wanted some new trash to pass around or share and a Slayer and a hot boy walk into a bar was a GREAT start. It was sort of cute in a slimy way. She watched Dean taking in the place and liked how he was putting on such a cowboy face. Like he was perfectly fine wherever. Not that she was looking at him- again. She turned her head to try and catch Clem's eye, leaning in some. She could keep from ogling Dean, damn it.</p><p>"Your friend owns this place?" he asked her.</p><p>She nodded still not looking over, she was still trying to get he bartender's attention "He moved down here just before...just before the town I used to live in went under."</p><p>Dean nodded "Mining?"</p><p>Now she had to look at him. What was he talking about? She looked at him in confusion.</p><p>"Mining town? I see a lot of those go under once the mine dries up." he said sagely.</p><p>She gave him a half grin as she nodded "Yeah mining, Something like that." Sort of like mining if the mine was a hellmouth and the coal was super freak vampires. But was that really so important when Dean had possibly the longest eyelashes she had ever seen on a guy? It was almost like you could wrap them around your pinky if he held still. She continued to stare at him for a long second and Dean smiled back. Mentally he was reminding himself not to drool, she wanted to play it cool and he could be cool.</p><p>"Faith?" the bartender called out. Dean turned to give him his 'Hey she's with me' smile when he froze. This guy was the ugliest guy he had ever seen.</p><p>Faith smiled and called out "Clem!" and opened her arms as the bartender leaned over and hugged her. Dean tried not to grimace as he looked at what must have been a bad burn because this guy's skin was off the hook ugly. His ears seemed to droop down and with no hair...damn. Fugly.</p><p>"This with you?" Clem said gesturing towards Dean without looking at him.</p><p>"And if he wasn't?" she said mock seriousness. Her eyes were hooded as she let Clem draw some conclusions. Maybe it would give her a little rush to say Dean was hers, because in this bar, he better be 'with' a power or he'd be free trade. She wasn't too worried, not yet. Clem was just curious.</p><p>"You know what kind of bar this is Faith. We have rules." he said wagging his finger at her.</p><p>"My god Clem, you've gotten positively racist in your old age." she said grinning even wider. Clem was not the hard ass he was letting on to be, but then, this wasn't Sunnydale and these guys weren't the same idiots that wandered around the Hellmouth. He had a soft spot for her, right behind his third kidney, or so he said but odds were he couldn't show it past the hug in a place like this.</p><p>"Old?" he called out bringing his hands to his face and grabbing two handfuls of skin "But I just had a face lift!"</p><p>And Dean barked out a laugh.</p><p>Bad move. Faith closed her eyes and shook her head as Clem slowly looked over to Dean. "Are you laughing at me?"</p><p>Dean tried to stop laughing as he saw the look on the guys face. "But the face lift...and your..." and the laughing stopped "You were serious?"</p><p>Clem looked at Faith "Is he with you or not?"</p><p>She looked over to Dean and raised an eyebrow as if to say 'Want me to save you?'</p><p>Dean just scowled and said "Hey! Joan Rivers. I'm right here." He could see Faith laughing silently as Clem looked back over to him. "You wanna ask me a question, ask me. Not her."</p><p>Clem's eyes looked dark as he said "Your kind is unwelcome here."</p><p>And without a thought Dean replied "What kind is that? Reeeaaaallllly Reeeeaaaallllly Goooood looking?"</p><p>And Clem's face hardened into a scowl "No human."</p><p>Dean's mouth was halfway open as he paused. The band stopped playing and he looked slowly behind him. And then, just then, he saw what he had missed coming in. The extra eye here, the odd skin color there. As he watched the entire bar begin to stand up and growl at him he looked back at Clem and realized...that wasn't a burn. God damnit this was what Sam had been for.</p><p>"Human?" he asked gulping. He looked at Faith "Then what's she?"</p><p>Good time to have a heart to heart. Faith made a little face and decided that she needed to have most of her attention on the angry mob forming. She shrugged "Special"</p><p>"Let's give him a real Clem's house welcome guys." Clem said over the bar "And make sure you get the face."</p><p>"Aw, come ON, Clem..." Faith whispered and saw the bartender (and owner) look fleetingly amused. But then, Clem didn't have as much to lose as Dean did when it came to giving good face.</p><p>Dean jumped away from the bar and brought up his fists. As the demons moved forward the band began to play 'Even the Nights are Better'. He shook his head, the only thing that made this bearable was that Sam wasn't here to laugh at him.</p><p>When the first Golgothan spider demon rushed at Dean, Faith went into the arachnid man and shoved him back hard.</p><p>I, I was the lonely one<br/>Wondering what went wrong<br/>Why love had gone<br/>And left me lonely</p><p>She grabbed one of the legs trying to twine around her and snapped it off, being sure to spray the venom towards the crowd trying to jump Dean.</p><p>I, I was so confused<br/>Feeling like Id just been used<br/>Then you came to me<br/>And my loneliness left me</p><p>It was a courtesy. He was not doing badly, still standing and all, but she hadn't brought him here to get him killed. Her arm flew back and she grappled a hunchbacked thing with a pig's face, not sure what it was in Latin, but in any language it was wet with spit and beer.</p><p>I use to think I was tied to a heartache<br/>That was the heartbreak<br/>But now that Ive found you</p><p>"Back off or I am tearing heads off!" she said with an audible snap of whatever she was holding at the time.</p><p>Faith hissed the words and meant them, not one to bluff. She kicked the chittering Golgothan hard in his many eyes and then tried to scrape off some of those eyes to the leg of the flailing creature. She saw Dean duck under the swing and look over at him, his smirk and the eyebrow waggle made her bust out as he looked like a little kid dodging a truant officer.</p><p>As she rose her hand to bust the face of the next one she felt Clem's hand on her wrist "What are you doing?" he whispered under the clamor of the fight.</p><p>She looked at him quizzically "Um...fighting?"</p><p>"Why?" he asked, his eyes wide with desperation. When he saw her not understanding he added "How else can I tell you what's going on except during a fight?" he nodded to his back room "Come on! You have to hear this!"</p><p>Faith looked at Dean as he sent a roundhouse to a rather large Lor'lak demon, sending the bruiser to its knees. "Well you wanted to sit at the big boy table." she muttered and jumped the bar as Clem ran away shrieking in mock terror.</p><p>"Help me!" he screamed with his hands in the air "She's gonna kill me!" he said busting into his private room. She shook her head and followed him, slamming the door behind him. Hoping Dean was as good as he thought he was.</p><p>Even the nights are better<br/>Now that were here together<br/>Even the nights are better<br/>Since I found you<br/>Even the days are brighter<br/>When someone you loves beside you<br/>Even the nights are better<br/>Since I found you</p><p>"I might not be as good as I thought I was." Dean thought as he felt a hamhock of a fist hit him from behind. He spun, landing a work boot to the things knee, at least he hoped it was a knee, and felt a satisfying crunch. He had lost sight of Faith in the tussle but he wasn't that worried about her. After all, the girl wanted to prove this was her show...time for her to prove it.</p><p>"Come on boys" he said through a split lip and a smile "Daddy's home" and he dove into the mob, taking an ear in one hand and what he hoped was a nose in the other.</p><p>Please god let that be a nose.</p><p>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</p><p>As soon as the door closed Clem's fear vanished. He was breathing hard as he turned on the cameras in the main bar "Thanks for that. L.A. is weird, it's all about reputation. If I just talked to you I'd lose half my customer in less than a week. Here. " he said turning on the monitors behind him. "Listen while you watch your friend. There's enough bad blood in that room for them to fight each other for a while instead of all ganging up on him."</p><p>She watched Dean fly into a mass of demons with a grin and she had to admit. She was beginning to like that boy. "Ok Clem talk. We're on the meter here."</p><p>"Lindsey's back" he said quickly "Do you know who he is?" he paused and Faith nodded "Good. So you know that's bad. Cause he was dead."</p><p>Her eyes flickered back to Clem quickly "Dead? How Dead?"</p><p>"As in the kind where you stop moving for a long time." Clem added "Someone brought him back."</p><p>"Wolfram and Hart?" she said going back to the monitors.</p><p>Clem's ears shook "They won't touch LA. After what happened to them here...this is officially no man's land. This is something else."</p><p>"Something like?" she asked watching the fight start to go bad for Dean.</p><p>"Something that wants potentials." he saw her not even pause so he added "As in potential slayers." her eyes flew off the screen and locked him with a stare. He just nodded slightly and she cursed under her breath.</p><p>Giles knew exactly what was going on when he sent her here.</p><p>That was the moment Dean was lost under the mob. She had told Dean he was on his own, but that didn't slow her down now. She was getting out there. "Thanks Clem, your street rep is safe with me." she said busting the door down and flipping over the bar. Clem collapsed into his chair smiling "I miss Sunnydale" he said as he saw Faith dive into the crowd.</p><p>Dean almost had em.</p><p>The thing with the horns was a bitch but he was pretty sure he was wearing him down. In the end something spit in his face and he felt his eyes sting something fierce. From there something head butted him and then took a shot at his junk and he collapsed into a ball on the floor. Something kicked the side of his head and he thought distantly, this was where Sam would jump in and distract them.</p><p>The world went kinda dim.</p><p>And then he heard the screams. At first he wondered if that was him, he always heard some people go all girl like at the end and then wondered who the fuck was that screaming and then they go...oh yeah me. But no...he wasn't screaming and it was more than one person. He cracked one eyelid and the entire world was at a Batman fight scene angle...</p><p>And Faith was in the middle tearing the demons apart.</p><p>She was like a whirlwind, throwing guys around, tossing them like rag dolls. He could see some of them actively running from her, however many eyes they had were wide with terror as their hands, tentacles or in one case vines, extended over their heads in panic. "Must've hit my head hard" Dean mumbled as he saw the horned thing grab Faith from behind in the bear hug he had been avoiding the whole fight. As the burly creature picked her up and squeezed, Dean knew her back was broken. At the very least she was about to be mortally wounded. He expected to hear a crunch of bones and ribs as the thing tore the hottest girl he ever met in half and then came to step on his face like he was a bug. He moved to one side to get up, his head still spinning from the last kick badly.</p><p>He wasn't going to make it in time, he heard her grunt and then the snap of bones. His left hand trailed into his jeans to pull the gun as he knew that thing was coming for him next. He felt its hands on his shoulders and he spun to shoot his attacker.</p><p>And found Faith standing there holding him up. She slapped the gun out of his hand so fast he thought maybe he had lost consciousness for a moment. "Dean?" she asked, her voice sounding way too concerned "Dean you ok?"</p><p>He looked past her for a moment and saw the horned beast on the ground not moving. Its ribs extending from its chest in a bloody mess. The look on the thing's face was still screaming. He looked at it and then back to Faith as it sank in.</p><p>As the world tipped to the right he slurred "What the fuck are you...." and he passed out.</p><p>Leaving Faith holding an unconsciousness hunter and about half a million questions when he woke up.</p><p>She easily lifted him and draped him over her shoulder. Heated eyes swept the room as she stared down the remaining restless demons.</p><p>"Anyone follows me or makes my back prickly and I am going to kill you and then everyone you ever knew, we all square?"</p><p>When no one said a word, she nodded, leaving the bar. She walked to the nearest hotel, and didn't bat an eye when the desk clerk kept staring at Dean while taking her money for a cheap room. They had seen all kinds here. Faith patted Dean's bottom and grinned at the grey-haired lady.</p><p>"Couldn't help myself. Just had to have one."</p><p>The woman behind the desk tried to smile back, but it came across wan and a little off.</p><p>Faith walked to the room, unlocked the door and went inside. She let Dean slide to the bed, being gentle about it. He was on his back, sprawled out. The bump to his head wasn't busted open, that was okay. She decided it was the right thing to do to check him for injuries. Like a good Girl Scout. Well, a bad Girl Scout, but there were badges to earn and she was going for it. She took off his boots and his jacket before running her hands under his shirt. Warm. Hard. Oh, and not broken. Very official checking here. He had some blood on his lip and she ran her fingers over the rusty red stain. Her finger slid into his mouth and she caught her breath, wanting to lean over and kiss him.</p><p>Of course his eyes had to open right then.</p><p>She blushed bright red and drew her finger from his lips, coughing to cover some of her embarrassment.</p><p>"Ah, you lived. Want some painkillers? I have some."</p><p>Dean didn't move, he just laid there staring at her.</p><p> </p><p>It was making her stomach do slow rolls that had nothing to do with how pretty he was and everything to do with how still. He was watching her like he was deciding whether or not to shoot her. She knew that look. She shrugged "More for me." and tried not to notice him follow her with his eyes. Well this wasn't how she imagined their first minutes in a motel room like. She leaned against the sink and tried not to look at herself in the mirror. She reached into the one of the hidden pockets of her jacket, feeling the packets of pharmaceuticals there. Maybe she could talk him into some Percocets. Help him relax and sleep. In the mean time, maybe work some damage control. Try to get him thinking less about her beating up a BAR of DEMONS. She said to him "You know you hit your head pretty hard, you might have ended up seeing things there at the end." She winced as she heard herself trip over the lie. Man, she used to be better at this.</p><p>She almost jumped when she heard his voice behind her "Is that how you're gonna play this?" She turned and found him standing way too close to her for her to not have heard him move. Take the boots off and the boy needed a freaking bell! Without the jacket and boots he looked...god damnit why did he have to look so vulnerable? The look on his face, it was like he was being forced to shoot Old Yeller or something. He wasn't mad or upset. He looked tired and resigned. She turned and tried not to notice the whiteness of his socks in the low light. Something about beat up boys in white socks made Faith go all weak in the knees.</p><p>"Play what?" she said leaning against the sink, not bothering the fake smile.</p><p>He stared at her for almost five minutes without saying a word. She couldn't tell if he was studying her or trying to remain upright, but the sheer determination in his face was driving her nuts. Finally he sighed "Ok fine." he turned and sat on the bed and scooted his boots over to him.</p><p>She almost gasped as he began to put them on "Where are you going?"</p><p>He didn't even look up as he pulled the first one on "Away"</p><p>He should have sounded like a spoiled child. With a line like that she should have sneered and rolled her eyes thinking, 'You wanna take your toys and leave fine'. But as she saw him lacing his boot up she found she couldn't muster it. She sighed and rolled her eyes as she said "Fine. What do you want to know?"</p><p>He stopped and locked eyes with her. "What are you?"</p><p> </p><p>She bit down the sarcasm just bubbling under her first thought. Who in the fuck did this kid think he was asking her all these questions. Though if she was being honest with herself (and how rare was that) he was only a year or two younger than her. Closer to her actual age than the one she projected with her own jacket and scowl. So he wasn't a kid in the sense of age, this was about something else.</p><p>She felt her head fall, and as she recited the words every Slayer had heard at least once from Giles. She said her bit as she counted the bodily fluids stains on the floor in her head. "Into each generation a girl is born: one girl in all the world, a chosen one. She alone will wield the strength and skill to fight the vampires, demons and the forces of darkness; to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers. She is the Slayer."</p><p>He looked up at her from the bed "What does that mean?"</p><p>She looked back at him "Means I am stronger, faster, harder to hurt and quicker to heal than the average bear." She opened her jacket and pulled up her t shirt, showing where the Churak demon had grabbed her in its supposedly deadly bear hug and tried to crack her in half. Dean stood up as he saw the small red marks around her mid section and even they were fading fast. He reached out and touched the skin and she jerked sideways as she laughed. He looked up at her and she said "Tickles"</p><p>Dean's face fell as he took a step back and stumbled over his remaining boot. He fell to the floor and Faith took a step towards him to help. He actually grabbed the boot and held it between them "Stop!" he said "You are not human." he shot out.</p><p>The words were like a gunshot, hurting more than anything she received in the fight. Shouldn't hurt. She shouldn't let it hurt. Her mask came back up and her fake smile bore a hole in his face. "I like to call it 'human plus'." but she saw the joke had no affect. "No Dean, I am a slayer. You never heard of one in your wild and varying journeys?"</p><p>He slipped the other shoe on without ever breaking eye contact "Some kind of demon? Half demon or something?" he was more talking to himself "Or maybe you're like some kind of Amazon..."</p><p>She made a face. She should have been helping him out of the room by now. With a swift kick in the ass. Maybe even out the window. But here she was trying to put him at ease or find some middle ground. Like it was vital. Jesus. She told herself to shut up even as she heard herself say softly. "C'mon Dean....I saved your ass. More than twice tonight and you're gonna give me that..." She took a step closer and she knew it was a mistake.</p><p>He jumped up and held his arm out "Stop" he said "Do not come any closer." She paused and cocked her head, trying to divine if she was scaring him. No way, right? Not Dean. But it seemed likely. He sounded on edge as he warned her off. "I appreciate everything you've done and all. But..." and his words failed him.</p><p>So it was going down just this way. He was running out and she needed to close the wound off that he couldn't see. It hurt. It was hurting her way past anything she could decapitate. Her voice was harder than she meant it to be when she forced the words out. "But it wasn't enough to make me human in the Dean Winchester guide to everything normal." she said with her lip curling in scorn "Great, no problem." She turned back to the mirror and leaned on the sink. "Then run away little boy. Go run back to whatever corn field you came from and hide under your bed. That way the world can be just as you think it should be and you never have to actually look at it for what it is."</p><p>Dean watched her for a moment and took a hesitating step towards her "Faith?"</p><p>"GO!" she growled, and she had to admit, she didn't sound very human with that either.</p><p>He didn't run though. He slipped on his jacket slowly and took another look at her again before saying "I'm sorry." and he walked out of the room.</p><p>As she looked up at the warped mirror and saw her face distort itself slightly, she noticed the tears she WAS not crying well up in her eyes. "So am I." She whispered to herself before shattering the offending image into dust. Her own face had seemed to mock her, her eyes asking 'Well what did you expect?'. Really, she had this coming. She set herself up for it. Fuck. Taking him into Clem's bar even and what was she thinking, making sure he made it out all in one piece? One human piece that spit on her like she was... a monster.</p><p> </p><p>He was not the first, he wouldn't be the last. That was what people were good for. Being massively disappointing and making you feel like you had a belly full of sharp nails.</p><p> </p><p>She was beginning to remember why she hated LA.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Part Four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dean paid for the dive in silence.</p><p>The girl behind the desk flirted pleasantly enough with him but he completely missed it. He took the tacky plastic key and marched up to his room like a zombie. He was sore, he was tired and above all else he was confused. As soon as the door was closed he pulled off his jacket and stumbled to the bathroom.</p><p>The small light reflected in the dingy mirror every cut and every scrape he had garnered from the fight. As he worked his jaw he realized he should have taken Faith up on her offer of pain killers, he was going to be hurting in the morning. And he froze, locking eyes with his reflection.</p><p>Faith.</p><p>He turned off the light and sat on the edge of the bed as he pulled his boots off. The motion made him groan slightly as his back began to curse at him from the effort of the first one. He gave up on the second one, collapsing back onto the bed. He looked up at the stucco ceiling as the cars driving by threw shadows across his room. He sighed as he tried not to think about how bad he felt. He closed his eyes and all he saw was her.</p><p>He got up, kicking the other boot off and began to pat down his jacket. He stopped when he got to the lump that was his cell phone. He flipped it open and keyed the letter S. The only good thing about being on the same coast, he knew exactly what time it was when he called Stanford.</p><p>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</p><p>Faith paced her room like a caged animal.</p><p>The phone in her hand was lucky her desire to talk to Giles was overriding her desire to crush something or it would have been a very expensive pile of dust by now. Whoever had answered was looking for him, had been looking for him for over ten minutes now. All she knew, Hogwarts better be on fire for him to make her wait this long.</p><p>There was a scramble and she heard the other line pick up. A slightly out of breath Giles responded "Faith? Are you there?"</p><p>"Why didn’t you tell me?" she growled, the plastic on the phone cracking slightly. He needed to say the right things fast, or at least not make it worse. He was going to make it worse. She would bet money on it. There was no 'better' right this moment.</p><p>There was a pause on his end and she could hear him say away from the phone "Thank you, you can wait outside." Faith could hear a door closed before he said "So it’s true?"</p><p>"You fucking knew they were potentials before you sent me." she said ignoring the question "You knew the girls were potentials and didn’t say shit." her tone was biting "Why is that Giles? Slip your mind? Other things more important? BECAUSE FAITH CAN’T BE TRUSTED WITH THE WHOLE TRUTH?" she yelled, holding the phone in front of her.</p><p>She could just imagine him wincing as he waited for her to calm down. She so badly wanted to spike this phone like a Montana football. In a controlled voice she said "Why didn’t you tell me, Giles?"</p><p>In that same annoying British voice he said "Because we weren’t sure." as if that made it all right. "Because we needed to be sure that one, they were heading there under their own influence and secondly, because we didn’t want you to automatically assume someone was capturing potentials."</p><p>Faith struggled as she fought the urge to yell bullshit into the phone to interrupt him. This was the same lying garbage she always got when she dealt with Buffy’s crew. She was always the bad guy, always the dark one. And no matter how many times she tried to make up for it, she was always going to be treated like this. She always came back for more. Issues much? She wanted to just fade and disappear, but then she would be found. It might take awhile, but eventually 'work' found her or she was drug right back into her 'destiny' nails cutting the floor. As she bit through her bottom lip she heard him say "Faith? Are you there?" and a pause "Listen something is wrong. Those girls all headed to L.A. under their own volition. Which means that something is wrong there. Seriously wrong."</p><p>"Lots of girls come to L.A. Giles." she said picturing how many ways she wanted to kill every single one of the Scooby gang. Definitely something with carnivorous ants. Might get to use the garrote again. God, she loved the garrote.</p><p>"Yes, but these are potentials. Which means they were meant to go there." he corrected.</p><p>She sighed as she understood his meaning. Giles believed that Slayers were agents of destiny, that the girls were led to places they were needed. He always cited Buffy’s moved to Sunnydale and The Master as proof of his theory. Slayers were moved around the board by fate or destiny or whatever to where they were needed the most. And if Giles was right, fate had been sending Slayers here for awhile.</p><p>"Awful lot of girls." she said finally.</p><p>"And now you’re there." he said subdued.</p><p>"I’m here because you lied to me." she said sneering. She wanted to just tell him she was pulling out and he could sit and spin. Except - like clockwork- she could guess what he would come back with. It started with 'B' and ended with 'fee'.</p><p>"You would have gone even if I had told you Faith. The difference is you are there and needed." he paused and he said "If you need help I can let Bu…"</p><p>"No" she said cutting him off. He paused and she struggled to talk as normal as possible "In the future, Giles, if there is anything I need to know for a mission- tell me, or send someone else. We clear?"</p><p>"Crystal" he said without a tone.</p><p>"Anything else I need to know?" she asked, wanting nothing more than to get off the phone. He was warming up a big platitudes casserole in his brain and she wasn't haven't any.</p><p>"Willow senses great evil in the area. Something from below is moving, and it's big." he said.</p><p>She rolled her eyes "Oh, by the way, Lindsey is alive, and it wasn’t Wolfram and Hart’s smashing insurance plan that brought him back. Coincidence ?"</p><p>Giles’ voice got stern as he began to see the scope of the problem "I don’t believe in coincidences."</p><p>It was one of the few things they did agree on.</p><p>"Neither do I." she said pausing for a second as she fought herself from asking the next question.</p><p>"Anything else?" he prompted.</p><p>She mentally kicked herself and asked "Have you ever heard of…hunters. Normal people who do what we do?"</p><p>He could hear Giles cleaning his glasses "I have heard there is a network of them, but I have never dealt with them." and she could hear him place them back on his face somehow "But you can ask Xander." he suggested "I do believe he has had some experience with them."</p><p>"I’ll be in touch." she said getting ready to hang up the phone.</p><p>"Faith" Giles asked "Are you ok?"</p><p>She froze, feeling the way her stomach lurched and the way her chest ached and she said with no emotion "Five by five Giles, you know me." And she hung up and sighed. She was not going to have daddy issues with Giles. She had a psychopathic ex-mayor snake thing that was all up in her daddy issues, thanks for playing. She didn't even want to think about it. She didn't want to think of much of anything, especially not Dean falling back from her like she was worse than the demons that tried to jump him. Turning her baleful eyes to the window, she stared outside the grimy glass and inwardly cursed this whole fucking town.</p><p>There wasn’t anyone in the world she didn’t hate right now.</p><p>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</p><p>The voice on the phone sounded half asleep "’ello?"</p><p>"Sam?" Dean said wincing at the casualness of his voice. It was three in the morning and he was going on like he was wondering how the weather was.</p><p>Sam’s voice was instantly awake "Dean? You ok? What’s wrong?"</p><p>Dean shook his head, this was a mistake "It’s ok Sam, I’m fine. I just…this was stupid. I didn’t realize how late it was. I’ll call you later." He began to close the phone and he heard Sam say "Wait!" Dean paused.</p><p>"What’s wrong?" Sam asked "You don’t sound drunk so don’t tell me you don’t know what time it is." Dean could just see his brother sit up in bed with that concerned look "Come on Dean, talk."</p><p>Dean sighed as he lay back on the bed. He so didn’t need Sam’s Dr. Phil mode, but he had to talk to someone. He said "It’s no big deal…I just…" and he trailed off.</p><p>"What’s her name?" Sam asked in the silence.</p><p>Dean’s eyes widened as he looked at the phone or a second "Why do you assume it’s a girl?"</p><p>Sam chuckled "Ok. What’s his name?"</p><p>Dean smirked at the phone "Oh haha Sam. Ok fine" he said taking a breath "Her name is Faith."</p><p>"Wow that’s a good one. Better than Fantasy or Bubbles." Sam said dryly.</p><p>"She isn’t a stripper Sam." Dean said sharply. Too sharply. He mentally took a back step and said "It isn’t like that."</p><p>"Isn’t?" Sam asked with a smile "Isn’t? Wow this is serious."</p><p>"What the hell does that mean?" Dean demanded.</p><p>"Because if you start talking about a girl it’s always wasn’t. It wasn’t like that. Never isn't. Isn't implies it is still happening...which it never is." Sam whistled "This is a new one."</p><p>"Shaddup" Dean said as he heard the mirth in his brother’s voice. He knew Sam would wait on the phone all night for him to explain. It was one of the advantages of having a such a touchy feely sister like him, he was a great listener. Finally Dean asked "Let me ask you something. What’s a slayer?"</p><p>He heard Sam’s mental wheels turning like a steroid induced hamster for a second before he said "You don’t mean the band?"</p><p>"No" Dean said with scorn.</p><p>"And not the anime?"</p><p>"What the hell is that?" Dean scowled.</p><p>"Oookayyy" Sam said slowly "Hold on." Dean could hear Sam pull out his laptop and start typing "We talking as in…the family business?"</p><p>"Um…yeah." Dean said still staring at the ceiling.</p><p>"Ok then" Sam said reading off the screen "Slayer. Hmmm…ok they are girls, who fight…this can’t be real." Sam said.</p><p>"What?" Dean said sitting up.</p><p>"Says here they fight vampires." Sam scoffed.</p><p>"Oh come on." Dean said into the phone "There’s no such thing!" he said.</p><p>"Yeah just like there are no shape shifters or demons either." Sam said dryly. Dean knew he was mocking him and reading at the same time "According to this the legend is every generation a girl is chosen. She is given the powers and skills to fight…vampires and the evil of the world." he could hear Sam typing "There is a whole legend about them. They are girls who are super strong, tougher than normal, faster than any human and can fight any evil anywhere."</p><p>Dean sat there as another car passed by his room.</p><p>"Dean?" Sam asked "You there?"</p><p>"Go on." Dean said his face pale.</p><p>"Um, says here that there has been slayers almost as long as there has been evil. I mean tales go back for…wow thousands of years in almost every culture." Dean knew that Sam was getting into it now "Different girls, different places, different times."</p><p>"What are they?" Dean asked.</p><p>"Huh?" Sam asked confused.</p><p>"What are they Sam? Demons? Mutants like a shifter? What are they?" he demanded.</p><p>"Humans Dean." Sam said softly "Says here they are just humans chosen to fight evil."</p><p>"Bull" Dean spat as he started to pace his room "No one can do all that and just be human Sam."</p><p>"Well normally I would agree Dean but we’re talking girls who fight vampires." he said in that tone "So how real are we talking?"</p><p>"They’re real." Dean said pausing, looking out his window.</p><p>He could hear Sam’s awe in his voice "You met one?" Dean could see Sam sit up in his bed in excitement.</p><p>"Oh yeah" Dean said rubbing the back of his neck "And she wasn’t a Fantasy or a Bubbbles."</p><p>"Faith" Sam said putting the pieces together.</p><p>"Yeah…Faith." he said sitting back on the bed.</p><p>They were both silent for a good long time, finally Sam asked "So…what was she like?"</p><p>Dean sighed as a jumble of images raced through his mind. Her smile, her laugh, her sneer…her ass. Everything flooded around him and he felt even worse than he did before. He finally said "Perfect"</p><p>There was stunned silence on Sam’s end and then he asked "What did you say?"</p><p>Dean coughed and sat up quickly "I said she was perky. A perky girl." he amended quickly "Sides it doesn’t matter she’s a freak. You just said that."</p><p>Sam sighed now and Dean could just see his pumpkin sized head shaking at him "I didn’t call them freaks, Dean. If even half of this is true, they are a great force for good."</p><p>"But they aren’t human." Dean countered.</p><p>"Actually it says here they are."</p><p>"But they can’t be. Some kind of half human things…" Dean tried to convince himself.</p><p>"Look Dean" Sam interjected "Let’s say you’re right. Let’s say this Faith is something different, one of the Slayers."</p><p>"Ok" Dean said cautiously.</p><p>"Did she fight on the side of the good?" Sam asked "Was she a good guy or a bad guy?"</p><p>Dean smiled for a second "Very good at being bad." he said and then shook his head "She was good I guess."</p><p>"So then what does it matter?" Sam asked, which brought Dean up cold "I mean so she has some kind of super powers? So what? Isn’t she using them to do good?"</p><p>Dean sat on the bed as his own mind tried to find a counter argument against his brother’s logic. "But it ain’t like that Sam" Dean said "We fight…"</p><p>"We fight evil Dean. Not different." Sam said soothingly "So what if she’s not all human?" Dean growled and Sam changed tact "Ok then. What if it was me?"</p><p>"What?" Dean said in shock.</p><p>"What if it was me with the superpowers but I was trying to use them for good?" Sam said "Would you feel the same way about me?"</p><p>Dean wanted to say hell yes but his mouth wouldn’t let him. If Sam did have some weird powers…but he was still on the side of the angels…Dean would like to think he would be ok with it. He would see it was still Sam even though he was…more than human.</p><p>And his mind gave up.</p><p>If he could do it with Sam why not Faith?</p><p>"Shit" he muttered into the phone.</p><p>"Sounds like you owe someone an apology." Sam said with just the right amount of smugness to piss Dean off.</p><p>"Shut up bitch. If it was you I would hunt your sasquatch ass down with a vengeance." but there was no heat in Dean’s word.</p><p>"Screw you jerk" Sam said smiling back "Better hope you never have to hunt me, Dean. I’ll knock your tiny ass on the floor."</p><p>Dean grinned back "I look forward to that, bitchboy."</p><p>"Not as much as I do, douche bag." Sam smiled back.</p><p>Dean was quiet for a while "Thanks, Sam" he said earnestly.</p><p>"My pleasure Dean" he said closing his laptop. After a few seconds "She hot?"</p><p>"Oh my god!" Dean cried into the phone.</p><p>"Then go apologize." Sam said "God knows the girl that can handle you is few and far between."</p><p>Dean smirked "Well there’s always you, Sam."</p><p>Sam sighed and hung up. Dean shook his head grinning; he had work to do in the morning. He lay back in the bed hands behind his head as he began to doze off as visions of Faith danced in his head.</p><p>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</p><p>Some girls get bummed out and reach for their ice cream, fluffy robe and some Pretty Woman. Faith was sitting on the edge of her motel bed, knees to her elbows as she nursed a Jack n' Coke, watching Scarface. She wasn't feeling tipsy, and that sucked. She wanted to be able to sleep it off. Sleep off Dean blowing her off so hard she should have wind burn from it. She smirked at herself and had another too-sweet swallow of her drink. The two-liter of Coke was on the floor next to the fifth of Jack and a sawed off shotgun. Who was he anyway? Like he really mattered. Like it mattered at all if some asshole thought she was good company. She pff-ed and shook her head, eyes fixed to Pacino in his bubblebath, lecturing his blonde bimbo. Least he had a blonde bimbo. Hers had gone walking off all holier than thou. Because ooh-oooh hunters were so great and humany.</p><p>She knocked over the uneaten sandwich she had brought back on her supplies run, reaching for her phone. Whatever. She would clean it up later. She had that creepy tiny-legs on her skin feeling that always made her think she was being watched. She was seldom wrong about that. But maybe it wasn't 'watched' as much as 'looked for' because she hadn't run into any real threat since ...well... since parting ways with Dean.</p><p>And we're back to square one.</p><p>She admonished herself inwardly for giving him more air time in her head. He had had his shot. He had taken his shot. Making sure it was a freaking gut wound before sauntering out. Probably had to go get some hair gel and bang a normal. She hoped he contracted STDs so formidable that he looked like the Elephant Man from the waist down. That would just about make them even steven.</p><p>Dialing with her mind on accusing green eyes, she laid back to the mattress, turning down the TV. when she heard an unsure hello.</p><p>"Hey there, lil soldier. You got a minute?"</p><p>There was a pause.</p><p>"Faith?"</p><p>"The one'n only. Just me. Just Faith. What're you doing?"</p><p>On the other end of the line, Xander Harris wondered if he was being prank-called. Could Willow do this? Oh no doubt, but surely she wouldn't? Besides if Willow was imitating Faith she would totally do sexy-sexy talk to tease him and Willow wouldn't do sexy-sexy because of the Oz-Cordy thing-</p><p>"Xander? You still there?"</p><p>"Yeah, I'm just trying to remember if I paid you all my lunch money this week or not."</p><p>"Ha. That's cute. It really is. You know... despite your geekiness, I can see why B keeps you around. It's got to be nice to have a human guy not spaz out every time she does something she can't help. Like she was born that way. You just smile and do that whole 'who wants cocoa' thing and then you guys, what, spoon each other? As a group?"</p><p>Brow crinkling, Xander wondered if Faith was drunk. She sounded a little out of it and she was talking to him, which yeah maybe before they had kinda 'talked' but this wasn't like that. He blushed and felt at a loss.</p><p>"I haven't spooned Buffy. Is there a reason you're reaching out and touching someone, namely me? Because your touching can hurt.. Cause internal bleeding."</p><p>"Yeah. I get that a lot." She looked at the ceiling and wondered how long it would be before she had to take a call from Wesley.. She had been ignoring his calls, no doubt wanting to tag team his side of the British invasion. She could hear him now "Faith you have to understand that there are times when we all don't know the entire picture. When I was with Angel several times we were sent out without knowing every little part of the..." to which she would have said "Didn't he slit your throat at some point and then you kidnapped his kid? So maybe we shouldn't be using what Angel did or did not as our reference guide?</p><p>She just ignored the call, she wanted to have some stability before blasting into him for just throwing her ass at a hell-mouth like problem without all the cards n the table. Screw the cards, she didn't even know what game she was being dealt into. But it's all good here, nothing to worry about. No need to worry about Faith. What's the worst that could happen? She could die, right? Save them some paperwork. And she just knew no one was going to be bringing her back...</p><p>She heard a snapping sound and realized she had finally popped her cellphone apart gripping it. Amidst some colorful curse words, she fished her spare phone out of her pack thinking 'It lasted a whole conversation and a half...that's gotta count for something'. She dialed back to Xander. "Okay," she started without preamble. "Have you heard of hunters? I don't mean like slayers. I mean gun toting, holy-rollers in tight jeans hunters. Any intel on them? I hadn't heard shit, and I listen real good and hard. I don't like not knowing. Especially when they're in my sandbox."</p><p>"You ran into hunters?"</p><p>She could hear him moving stuff around and wondered if he was stopping his Princess Leia masturbation moment to do some research. She hated interrupting if he was in a happy place because, honestly, the boy was not treated right. Faith waited and then when he was rustling less, answered, "One. One hunter. But yeah."</p><p>"A real one? Not some Loch Ness chaser?"</p><p>"Met him getting all up in a demon's face. He lives to tell the tale. He's trained. Carries weapons. I might owe him a gun, come to think of it. I can imagine so many ways of giving him a gun right now."</p><p>"Faith?"</p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p>"You make me a pee a little when you use that tone. Okay, so you met a hunter. Did you get a name? Because I have a few in my contacts book, initials mostly, but the real names are stored on my X-Box as-"</p><p>"Winchester. Dean."</p><p>"A real one?"</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"A real Winchester?" Xander was all gaspy and then glowing. Figures Dean had more fans with the Scoobies than she did and he had never met them. "I only ever knew someone that knows John- that's the Dad. His two sons though... I have ...yeah, here we go... Dean and Sam. But Sam's not active."</p><p>"How can you know that?"</p><p>"I just mean he doesn't have his own number. I don't have it, anyway."</p><p>"You...do you have Dean's number?"</p><p>More clicking and then, "Nope, but I have a number to call to get someone to maybe call him. Why? He make you mad?"</p><p>She narrowed her eyes and sucked at her cheek a second before responding. "So what do hunters do? I mean, they're human?"</p><p>"Pesky humans! Yes, hunters are human. They're informed,educated humans that go out there without slayers and still manage to make a big dent. More into the monster crowd than strictly vampires."</p><p>"Hey, I kill tons of species."</p><p>"Ease down, tiger. I am sure you are the Plague in boots, but we're talking hunters, right? They cross lines with Watchers sometimes, you know, trade hazard, wanting to make the same baddies extinct. Do you want me to call Giles and tell him a hunter is making you antsy?"</p><p>"I'm not antsy." She growled the words and sat up in bed, hitting the remote to turn off her flick. "I just wanted to know why AGAIN I'm learning this stuff after the fact. That gets old fast."</p><p>"Wasn't my idea." Xander said suddenly "I was all for telling you."</p><p>She paused "What? You mean there was a conversation about this?"</p><p>"Um" he hesitated and it told her everything she needed to know. She could see the meeting. Buffy all hair pulled back, arms crossed looking like she had a real thought in her head. The British brothers all clucking and worrying like two of Gonzo's Muppet chickens.</p><p>"What if I had wasted him Xander? What if I teed off and just iced this human." she asked even though her mind made her imagine holding Dean up by his throat and the look of broken trust and disappointment on his face as he looked down at her. She shook her head and put her drink down, that shit was not helping.</p><p>"Um. Human? Thought you weren't taking out humans these days."</p><p>"He might be the exception. I get one a year, right? A freebie?"</p><p>"Not for me to say. Just know you don't need the Council-"</p><p>"Right, right. Can't make the daddies mad. I haven't forgotten. Didn't space how they wanted to make me their pincushion. Does Buffy know about hunters?"</p><p>Xander wasn't sure how to answer. He sensed that this moment, like many moments involving the fairer sex, could be deadly. If handled correctly, he might be allowed to die quick as opposed to after many bouts of torture trying to backtrack. His silence made Faith laugh sharply.</p><p>"Of course. Right. Can't let the Golden Child go all unknowing." Shaking her head, she wanted to find someone to break right down the middle. "Anything else I might need to know? Like do the sidewalks eat slayers on Tuesdays?"</p><p>"Nothing that major. Look, Faith... Buffy met a hunter, then some more hunters. They were chasing down a baby munching demonette that came through here. She worked with John. I was out of town when all that happened. It was three days tops. I don't know if the Watchers even recorded it."</p><p>"You bet. I gotta go. You take care, Xander. I have to go get my nails done."</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>She hung up her phone and looked around her room fuming. She decided the t.v. was going to stand in for Dean and Giles. The television was a composite of them both and it was begging to be kicked up to the ceiling. So be it. The pops and sparks weren't half bad, and the smell of burning sort of soothed her.</p><p>Once she had taken the broken set out to toss in the dumpster, Faith had a cigarette. She needed a smoke after her little fit, walking back to her room with her mind elsewhere. Giles sending her her without the full story just pissed her off. He would not have done so with Buffy. No, sir. He would have given his chosen one dossiers, pie graphs and extra band-aids in her first aid kit. Buffy was his pride and joy. It was nice being the 'extra' slayer. Like the stunt double, but not as gently treated.</p><p>She entered her room and locked her door out of habit, taking off her jacket. She could call Wesley. He was not one to turn her down flat if she needed some questions answered. Just, it could get back to Angel and she did not need Angel coming to make sure she wasn't picking the lock on the Apocalypse. Because she wasn't. She was being Slayer-y all the way. Even to the point, and Angel would appreciate this, of alienating men she was interested in.</p><p>Hopefully Dean landed on his feet.</p><p>She wanted to punch herself for thinking that. What the hell did she care how Dean was doing? For love of fuck.</p><p>She needed to get a shower and some shut eye. That would kill some time and maybe, she could wake up and be able to deal with things with a clearer head.</p><p>In the shower, she sang to herself, feeling like she was in a Queen mood, singing 'I want to break free' and trying to distract herself. She wasn't hungry so she could skip dinner. If she was doing the girl with a broken- or somewhat cracked- heart gig, so what? No one had to watch. She could brood on her own schedule. She whispered to herself as she was drying off. "Don't turn into Angel. Don't turn into Angel."</p><p>The image of her hair done up with his hair gel made her smile a little at least.</p><p>She was not awake for long once her head hit the pillows. She had been pushing herself pretty hard. Her body greedily accepted the offer of rest and she was out quick. It wasn't meant to last, that kind of necessary rest. She felt a pain in her body before she was coming back to wakefulness. The way her body reacted to approaching evil, most especially vampires. It was not the full on cramping feeling, but close enough.</p><p>Then the door blew into the room in pieces. A large chunk would have hit her sleeping form had she not rolled to the side. She was on her feet as a small group of people were suddenly in her space. Filling the room. In their center? Lindsey. Or, rather, the thing wearing Lindsey like a rental. She saw a guy climbing into her window from the side while another walked out of her bathroom.</p><p>Faith crouched automatically in a fighting stance as she counted heads. Seven people aside from Lindsey, and he was looking full of himself.</p><p>"There you are."</p><p>He spoke as if she had just wandered off or something.</p><p>He held an orb over his hand and even as she was keeping herself ready, she was not liking this scene. Two of Lindsey's lackeys were vamps, but they were hanging back by the door. Like dogs. Bloodhounds.</p><p>Lindsey-thing ran his eyes over her as if deciding whether or not to buy her.</p><p>"You'll do. You'll definitely do. Just what we've been looking for."</p><p>"Not into necrophilia." Faith responded, eyes snapping and nearly black with threat. "Maybe you can go dig up someone more your type."</p><p>"That was rude." Lindsey smiled and then the orb lifted from his hand, turning and starting to make the shadows in the room expand. The dark was swallowing the light as the orb pulsed and churned.</p><p>"Fuck this." Faith dove for the window. She got halfway there, the look on the demon standing there was priceless. When she felt the sting in her back and the taser hit her. She screamed as she collapsed, rolling up slightly as she pulled the damn wire out. She looked up and saw the mammoth humans hand by the window smashing into her throat. She came up kicking, hearing his knee become a bag of marbles.</p><p>She spun around to face the onslaught of men when another pinprick hit her shoulder and an additional thousand volts raced through her system. "Fucking taser" she said as she went down to one knee. She was still writhing and swearing when the four demons in big bodyguard bodies forced her to the threadbare carpet. They held her down with vicious hands biting into her flesh, one cramming his knee to her neck to help keep her pinned. She never ceased her struggles, once almost surging up with her legs before one of her legs was twisted hard the wrong way. She saw spots from the pain and felt the worst feeling in the world.</p><p>Helplessness.</p><p>Another taser brought the experience together, the cherry on top of the sundae. She screamed as the jolts raced through her, jarring and painful. Her scream was not from the physical discomfort. Her scream was one of rage at being overcome. She wanted to gut them all slow. She tasted blood and knew she had bitten herself as her body shuddered all over.</p><p>"You have a real attitude problem." Lindsey remarked, kneeling over her. "But honestly, you remind me of someone. I think you're going to get along smashingly."</p><p>He let the orb drift over her and her eyes fixed to it, some animal part of her brain knowing she was in true danger. He loved seeing her try to get away past all hope. It was inspiring.</p><p>"Faith, I want you to meet my sister."</p><p>The orb split a seam down the side, like a lanced wound and black bile became smoke that poured down her shrieking throat.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Part Five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dean woke at the crack of 3pm and made his way back to Clem’s.</p><p>He wasn’t thrilled about going back to the dive but it was the best lead he had to finding Faith. If the skin guy knew her, maybe he knew how to find her. Not the best of plans but it was the only one Dean had.</p><p>And he wanted payback.</p><p>Sic a bar of demons on him once, shame on you. Sic em on him twice and you get shot. Or something like that, as he walked under the chain link fence he promised to work on that one.</p><p>Dean walked into the darkened bar and wasn’t surprised to see it nearly empty of customers, most creatures of the nights preferring…well the night. Clem was behind the bar polishing a glass when he saw Dean standing in the doorway.</p><p>And then dropped the glass with a shrill, girl like shriek and began to run towards his office.</p><p>He didn’t get ten steps before Dean hauled him back by his shirt and the very literal scruff of his neck. The demon was blubbering at Dean as the hunter pulled him closer "Hello Clem." he said with a snarl "I had such an awesome time last night I decided to come back for seconds." Dean pulled out a wicked looking bowie knife and flashed it in front of the demon’s face "I also wanted to apologize personally for the facelift crack." he paused the knife close to the creature’s neck "Wanna see how I make it up to you?"</p><p>Clem began to cry out "Ohgoddon’tkillme!" he said in one syllable "I was only trying to tell her about Lindsey and if they knew I was giving her information they’d kill me and I was only kidding about messing up your face and I'm a good demon ask anyone and please don’t cut me please please please!"</p><p>Dean paused with his cocked "You gave her information last night?"</p><p>Clem’s head bobbed up and down.</p><p>"During the fight?"</p><p>Another bob.</p><p>"You were just trying to protect your…demon rep?"</p><p>Furious bob.</p><p>Dean dropped him to the floor as he slid the knife away "Well then I can’t fault you for that." he said looking over at the bottle of Jim Bean "You mind?" he asked holding the bottle up. Clem shook his head no, causing his ears to flap back and forth.</p><p>"Thanks" Dean said vaulting over the bar to sit down "Glass?"</p><p>Clem got up and very slowly slid a glass to down to Dean, who poured himself a shot and slammed it back. "Good stuff." he said looking at Clem "So where’s Faith?"</p><p>Clem blinked a few times "She’s not with you?"</p><p>Dean smirked "Not unless I have really big pockets." he said "I need to get a hold of her."</p><p>Clem narrowed his eyes "She took you out of here over her shoulder…either you woke up this morning and she was gone…or you did something to piss her off." The bartender inched closer to Dean "Which one is it?"</p><p>Dean mentally chuckled "What does it matter?"</p><p>Clem sighed "Cause if you woke up and she’s gone, she doesn’t want you to find her." Clem poured Dean another "And if you pissed her off I will have you killed." The threat passed right by Dean as he picked up the glass and paused, looking at the demon’s intense stare. "I know I can’t do it myself, I’m not stupid. But if you hurt her I’ll have someone strip the flesh from your bones for fifty bucks. For seventy five I’ll get the official DVD version with commentary."</p><p>Dean wanted to laugh but he saw the deadly seriousness in Clem’s eyes. He set the glass down "She that special?"</p><p>Clem scoffed "If you have to ask that.."</p><p>Dean waved his hand "Ok, yeah she’s that special." he said dismissively looking into his glass "I fucked up and I need to find her." he looked up at Clem "I need to make it right."</p><p>Clem stared at him for a long thirty seconds and then he nodded "I don’t like you." Clem said looking under the bar "I don’t like your look and I don’t like your kind." and he popped his head up and clarified "And that time I meant hunters." he went back to searching "You bust in, shoot first and most of you never ask questions at all. I think you guys are racist, ignorant and not even close to being worthy of the title human." He stood up and slapped Dean’s pistol on the bar "But she stuck up for you. And that means must be different." he said almost daring Dean to deny it.</p><p>Dean slowly took the gun and checked if it was loaded, it was. The hunter looked back up at Clem and pointed to the gun "Why?"</p><p>Clem stood up straight as bravely as he could muster "Because I trust in Faith’s judgment." and then he thought about it "And it’s your property, so it’s yours."</p><p>Dean’s eyebrows were raised in surprise as he slipped the pistol back into his jeans "Thanks" he said "Faith?"</p><p>Clem let a breath out in relief "Oh thank god. I really thought you were going to shoot me."</p><p>Dean just smiled "Sorry Clem. I don’t shoot friends."</p><p>Clem looked up with a shocked look and then smiled "Yeah. That would be mean." he poured Dean another drink and put the bottle back "Central Lodging on Pike street" Clem said cleaning another glass "Closest and cheapest rooms around here. And it has cable." he smiled at Dean "She likes the private channels."</p><p>Dean chucked "Thanks Clem" he pulled out his wallet and Clem waved his hand no.</p><p>"Sorry Dean" he said with a grin "Friends don’t pay."</p><p>Dean smiled back "Yeah. That would be mean." He turned around and hightailed it out of there. Clem watched him leave as he said to himself "Human love is so sweet." he sighed "Ugly as sin, but so sweet."</p><p>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</p><p>Ready to wear. Faith's body was a real piece of coutere, the demoness appraised, looking at her new self in the mirror. The sole mirror in the room was in the rundown bathroom, but still she could see enough to appreciate the curves in all the right places and muscular planes of her belly. Good, high ass and legs that felt spring loaded when she walked. Slayer body with extra strength and flexibility. She was not sure of all the tricks the body could do, but Meg was enjoying figuring it out. For instance? She had taken the body out late the night before for a trial run. She really couldn't help herself. It was like driving a sports car on an open stretch of road and just flooring it. Taking every turn of the road without slacking on speed. Picking a fight with a few gangbangers had set her heart racing, giving her a better idea of the damage the form could sustain- without ever faltering. It was more than a little hot. She could bash her fists into a brick wall and the wall would be the one going to pieces.</p><p>"I like."</p><p>She peered at her face in the glass and leaned in to reapply her heavy black eyeliner. Faith's eyes seemed accusing even if the actual Faith was as good as boxed up and put away. Finger combing her messy dark hair, the demoness admired anew how the bustier she wore really accentuated all Faith had to work with. Her full breasts were cupped and lifted, seeming to threaten to come bouncing free, but they wouldn't. Not unless Meg wanted them to. She liked the painted on black leather pants too, the boots with fuck-me heels six inches high and sharp. Her brother could mock her all he wanted, he was not the one getting this fancy little package. She was.</p><p>Hips swaying, she went back to the main room of Faith's poor choice in living conditions. Surely she could do better. Glancing around, Meg decided it was imperative, once she found the Winchester of choice, she was getting her saucy self into a five star hotel. She wanted something less fleabag and more penthouse. Why did Faith settle for 'this'? All she would have to do is crook one finger and she could have a sugar-daddy shelling out for her. Instead she was playing soldier girl for nothing.</p><p>Unless you counted her need to please and be accepted.</p><p>Making a mock-pout, Meg shook her head, whispering.</p><p>"You need to be with your own, Faith. You need to give it up and learn who your real family can be. Where you belong. Not with all these self-righteous bastards that are never ever going to give you what you need. They don't care, babycakes. You getting that yet? You were thrown down, you were the one they sent...because you're expendable. Don't be sad... It's not like you made this happen. Innocent bystander, baby. In the lion's den. No more prayers. No one coming to save you..."</p><p>She sighed, lifting and dropping her shoulders theatrically.</p><p>"But if you like, I'll let you watch when Dean gets to go to my father. Right up to the end. You can watch. Do you like...to watch?"</p><p>Since she had some time to kill, she decided to order in some pizza. All the while, her inner child, Faith, was slamming her spirit self back and forth like she was going to wrest back control. Someone had some hangups about not running the show. Meg heard the Slayer shrieking when the pizza boy was taken apart. His blood splattered her and made her artfully messy hair suddenly gummy and a bit on the congealed side. Meg ate some pizza hating how quick it would cool before she decided she needed to tidy up. Stow the body in the closet and then, wash her pretty new self.</p><p>She took a leisurely shower, stepping out of the tub to wrap a towel around her form, making note of the tattoos.</p><p>"I like what you've done with the place, Faith. The ink is nice. Not too much, just enough."</p><p>Licking her lips, she chuckled faintly and then heard a knock on the door. Her eyes slid to pure black before she corrected herself, calming down, letting the chocolate brown of Faith's eyes return under sooty lashes.</p><p> </p><p>"Company?"</p><p>There was another light knock on the door and she could guess who had come calling. She looked into the mirror and smiled as she said under her breath "Showtime"</p><p>She could hear Faith scream at her in the back of her head as she walked to the door. She wasn’t surprised to see the six foot two image of hunter perfection standing there with a puppy-dog look on his face. Interesting that Faith was trying to really make it out now, causing Meg to have to strong arm her psychically into behaving. All the while giving Dean Winchester a heated look. His hands were in front of him as he said nervously "Um…hi."</p><p>She smiled at him as she stepped aside. It was as if he expected to be hit or shot. The militant Slayer under her skin was not happy, but Meg was far from wanting to kill Dean. That was her father's choice to make. "Dean…what a delicious surprise." Dean walked in slowly as she closed the door; bolting the top lock before turning "I wasn’t expecting you." she said making a show of gripping the towel tightly to her chest. She wasn’t disappointed to see his eyes follow her hands and chest. He was not completely oblivious to having a naked girl close at hand.</p><p>He paused rubbing the back of his head as he looked up at her eyes "Um…yeah…I mean…" He shook his head "What?"</p><p>She smiled as she walked towards him "We got off track last night." she said low. She liked watching him flick his eyes over her and then go back to eye contact. Seemed the hunter had some hidden wells of strength himself. She had spent enough time admiring her new body. She knew it was made to please. But Dean was looking very serious and guilty too.</p><p>"Yeah" he said soberly "About that…" he started to say.</p><p>"Don’t" she placed a finger to those lips. Pretty sinful lips. "It’s ok, Dean. I understand. It's enough for me to see you again."</p><p>His eyes were wide as she leaned in to kiss him. As her lips touched his he closed his eyes and sighed. This, Meg decided, could really be a working holiday. He was mouth-watering and she was not going to mind getting him to relax. Her hands began to move under his jacket, his own hands began to reach out and he pulled away "Wait!" he said as she stumbled forward towards him.</p><p>Her grin was pure sex "What’s wrong, Dean?" she said letting the towel drop "Shy all of a sudden? Don't you want to kiss and make up?"</p><p>Dean leaned down and grabbed the towel, bringing it up to cover her "No...I mean…Jesus." he said taking a peek as she stood there smiling "I found a lead last night." he said looking away "I found where they are holding the girls."</p><p>Her smile wavered for a moment as her eyes flashed, but since he was looking away he didn’t see. In the same voice she asked "Really? How did you do that?"</p><p>Dean, still averting his eyes said "My dad had an informant down here. I leaned on him and he said he had an address. We’re supposed to meet him in a few."</p><p>She took the towel from him "Well that doesn’t leave a lot of time for the talent competition does it?" she purred rubbing up against him. She saw him look over and peek again before turning away. The man was made of stone.</p><p>"Actually I’m already late." he said as his voice squeaked "I just knew you wanted to be in on it as well."</p><p>She sighed and wrapped the towel back over her body "OK" she said pouting "But you’re missing all the fun."</p><p>"Always time for fun later." he said in a cheerful voice "It’s like Jell-o, always room for more."</p><p>She chuckled as she headed towards the bathroom "Let me change and we’ll hustle."</p><p>"Ok" he said shaking his head "I’ll be out here."</p><p>"Pity" she growled and then closed the door.</p><p>He slowly looked over to the door and sighed as he pulled out his cell phone. He dialed a number quickly "Mannie?" he said in a whisper "It’s Dean Winchester, John’s son." he said watching the door like a hawk "You still work at the same place?" Brief pause as a voice talked from the other end "Awesome…I have a client who has a friend." another buzz of conversation "Right…that’s what I mean. You free?" pause "Awesome, we’re on our way."</p><p>He closed the phone as she walked out in skin tight white tank top and a pair of jeans that looked like they were drawn on. He smiled as she arched an eyebrow "Problems?"</p><p>He shook his head "Nope, making sure he stays put." he said slipping the phone in his pocket "Ready?"</p><p>She grinned as she grabbed her jacket "Born and bred" she strutted to the door and looked behind at him "Sure you don’t want to tussle?"</p><p>He groaned slightly "No time" he whined "Work first…" he said pushing her towards the door.</p><p>"No fun at all." she said biting her bottom lip.</p><p>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</p><p>Faith paused at the street and whistled "That’s yours?"</p><p>Dean smiled as he walked around to the driver’s side "That’s my baby." he said proudly.</p><p>She walked around, tracing a line across the jet black ’67 Impala like it was a work of art "Then what’s that make me ?" she asked in a mock pouting voice. Inside her head, the real Faith made a sound suspiciously like gagging.</p><p>He stopped midway into the car and smirked "Much more versatile than a baby." he said lewdly. She laughed and got into the car.</p><p>She stroked the dash as he started the car "Original interior?"</p><p>"Was my dad’s." he said as he shifted "Was like his second love."</p><p>"Yeah, after your mom I bet he was broken up." she said looking around. She was oblivious to the hardness in Dean’s eyes as he said "Yeah, something like that." she looked back and he smiled "We ready?"</p><p>He pulled into traffic and headed to the east side of town.</p><p>"So where we going?" she asked.</p><p>"This guy is a crooked priest." Dean explained maneuvering into traffic "Into the dark stuff pretty badly. My dad busted him a few years back, let him off easy. The guy keeps his ear to the ground and we don’t blow his head off."</p><p>"Nice" she said looking out the passenger window.</p><p>"Yeah he’s a peach." he said distastefully "He heard something about Lindsey picking up some girls and said he knew where they were stashed."</p><p>"How does he know that?" she asked.</p><p>He shrugged as he took a sharp turn "Who knows? Scumbag demons gossip like everyone else. Without a soul kind of hard to instill things like honesty and loyalty I guess." He completely missed her flinty gaze as she said "Yeah I bet."</p><p>He looked back and she was smiling "Anyways" he went on "So he runs this church over in the Barrio and he’s waiting for us." he looked over to her "You don’t have a problem with a church right?"</p><p>She laughed "What you think I’m gonna burst into flames, Dean?" Dropping a teasing hand to his lap, she snuggled closer to him "You think I’m that bad?"</p><p>He smiled back "I’m counting on it." he said as he pulled up to the curb "Here we are."</p><p>It was a small one room church on a corner. The writing was all in Spanish as a weeping image of the Virgin Mary adorned the doors. "Ready?" he said getting out. She followed him as he walked up the front doors. She was a step behind him and he turned "You ok?"</p><p>She nodded "Five by five."</p><p>He cocked his head "Still no idea what that means." he opened the door and walked in. She walked in right behind him without a pause. They walked down the small aisle, pews on either side. For a small church it was beautifully decorated, there were incredible murals on the walls of the miracles of Jesus, healing the sick, curing the invalid, water into wine. Everyone looking like it was a masterpiece in a museum instead of a small L.A. Church.</p><p>"Someone is an artist." she said looking around. The murals went all the way up the ceiling where there was some kind of line etchings that came together in a circle right over them. She craned her neck, finding the design was hard to see with the images of angels flying around but it looked like it was some kind of…</p><p>She looked down and saw Dean standing a few feet away, the smile on his face told her everything. Her eyes flashed to black as she asked "Very well done, Dean." she said "Very slick."</p><p>He smirked as a priest walked out behind him "Thanks. I try." Without turning to the man Dean said "Mannie?"</p><p>"Si" he said looking at her sternly as he stood next to Dean "You must be John’s son."</p><p>Dean shook his hand as he watched Faith "Well one of them." he said "The better looking one." he added. He jerked his head at her "Why’s she just sitting there?"</p><p>"Atrapamento del Diablo" the priest explained "She is powerless to leave it."</p><p>Dean scratched his head "Whatever you said." his eyes were cold "Can you get her out of there?"</p><p>The priest opened his bible "We will see, won’t we?"</p><p>He started chanting in Latin and Faith grimaced. It hurt, like having a hot rake run down your insides. She was going to hurt even worse when her father's wrath was tested. "So what gave it away Dean?" she asked "Little too much woman for you?"</p><p>Dean shook his head "Fine line between frisky and a slut, lady. Trust me, stick to your day job."</p><p>The priest began to chant louder as Faith began to jerk. She appeared to be seizing as the muscles of her face and body twitched and spasmed. She held her belly, pushing inward as she realized she had a very slender hold on the host. She was being fought on both sides. In a pained voice she said "Won’t do you much good, you know? You’re too late to stop us."</p><p>Dean’s face didn’t budge "We’ll see."</p><p>"We can cut you a deal here, Dean. Call this a break for the Winchester team." she said with a catch in her voice. She had to try to salvage this situation. "All we want is the whore; you’re an innocent bystander in all this. You can walk away."</p><p>Dean smiled at her with loathing in his eyes "One, I have never been innocent." as Mannie’s chanting increased in tempo again "And two…she’s not a whore." Faith’s body began to tremble "She’s just…expressive."</p><p>Her back bowed so sharply it should have snapped as she was feeling the invocation tear past her control. Meg was not able to dig any deeper, not with the ancient words ripping into her. Faith screamed as her head flew back and her mouth opened. A trail of smoke went flying out of her mouth and threw itself at the ceiling. Chunks of plaster rained down on them as it passed through the wood and out of the building. Dean rushed in and slid to his knees, catching her before she hit the floor.</p><p>He knelt there, cradling her as she shook her head slowly. This was just... not how they did things in the romantic comedies. Faith knew she was never going to be the winsomely charming girl-next-door. Maybe she was just feeling bummed after having her first exorcism. Her everything hurt. She looked up at Dean with tired eyes. "Hey"</p><p>He smiled "Hey you."</p><p>She was still telling herself not to trust this or him, but he was there. He was there with her when he could have cut his losses. She still owed him a gun, she dimly recalled, looking at the ultra-green of his eyes. "You came back." she said sounding tired.</p><p>He chuckled "Yeah. I guess I did."</p><p>His laugh still made her feel kinda fluttery inside and it wasn't just from needing some healing time. She was healing up slowly but surely. It felt good being in his arms. She should never think about it as something to get used to, but maybe for a few more seconds it was an okay place to stay. She closed her eyes as if resting "Thought I was a freak."</p><p>He sighed and said "Yeah you are." Not quite what she expected to hear, but at least he was honest. Her eyes opened and looked up at him as he looked deep into hers "But you’re my freak." and he leaned in to kiss her.</p><p>She couldn’t help but kiss him back.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Part Six</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"We are going to have a problem."</p><p>Dean and Faith looked up at the priest from the floor. Not that they had been staring at each other and having a whispery drawn out kiss or anything. No, it was also recuperative. Dean had insisted that they sit there for awhile until Faith was able to stand on her own. Whatever having a demon inside of you did, it seemed that it wasn’t good for your insides. Dean looked up "Another one?"</p><p>The priest went to the next window and said "Same one" he went to the next and began cursing in Spanish "That demon...or whatever it was…had friends."</p><p>Dean looked concerned as Faith said "Not just a demon" she said sounding weaker than she liked "Way more than a demon." She had a kaleidescope in her head of how Meg's mind worked and what turned the demoness' crank.</p><p>Dean and Manny looked at her "What do you mean?" Dean asked.</p><p>At least Dean managed to ask like she was not a complete psycho.</p><p>"Her family, her dad…like royalty down in Hell. More powerful than a normal demon. You think normal demons can just walk into a church?" she said smiling slightly. She had not really put much thought into the hierarchy of Hell before- but Meg put some serious stock in it. Knew she had power to burn.</p><p>Dean looked at Manny who shrugged "Never really had a lot of demons walk in off the street." he said "What about the ones surrounding us now ?"</p><p>"What?" Dean said as Faith staggered to her feet.</p><p>"We’re surrounded." the priest said again.</p><p>"Her brother." Faith said leaning on a pew. She should have spent some time getting her legs working instead of lounging in Dean's arms like they weren't under attack here. Too many moves like that and she'd be like Buffy the Vampire Layer and not get her work done.</p><p>"Whose brother?" Dean asked.</p><p>Faith stood there with her eyes closed as if listening to something far away. The way Meg's mind had worked was enough to give her vertigo- but she could retain pieces. She had struggled to keep anything that floated past her as Meg's consciousness. Faith could be tenacious like that. "I can’t say her real name in English…but for some reason she calls herself Meg." she was talking distantly "And her brother is in Lindsey."</p><p>"Crap" Dean said making sure she wasn’t going to fall over before going over to the window "Looks like night of the Living Yuppie out there." Dean said looking back at Faith "He brought friends."</p><p>The small church was surrounded by large men in suits. Standing in the middle of the street with a dark look was Lindsey’s body. He was looking right at Dean. "Can he get in here?" Dean asked.</p><p>She nodded "He can but he won’t." she said "Meg’s the fighter, he is just…slime." She gripped the pew until the wood whined and lessened her hold. This sucked. She felt like the old lady that had fallen and couldn't get up in the commercial. Which was not funny. Okay, it made her laugh a little- in a wrong way.</p><p>"How does she know this?" the priest asked, panic began to tinge the edges of his words.</p><p>"She was in me, padre." Faith said standing up with only a slight wobble "She read my mind, I read hers."</p><p>Dean moved over to her but paused just before her. She liked that, he wanted to help her but knew she wanted to do it by herself. "Do you know where the girls are?" he asked, his hands hovering in case she tumbled.</p><p>She shook her head, it had been one of the first things she had probed her for when she realized she could read the demon whore’s memory as well "She was a little tight lipped on some subjects." She stumbled slightly; she hadn’t even moved an inch before Dean’s hand caught her arm.</p><p>"Careful" he said under his breath, so low that Manny would never hear them. She looked up and saw only concern on his face and she smiled. Dean had to go on and say "You’re still kinda Bambi like you know."</p><p>Her smiled faded around the edges as she gave him a mock sneer "Bambi?"</p><p>His grin widened "Well Bambi- if he was a girl and smoking hot and all and I would be Thumper." his eyes sparkled with mischief "Cept it wouldn’t be my foot I’d be thumping." She actually cracked a laugh at that- slightly tittilated. So sue me, she thought, and she felt his hand loosen a little. "You got it?" he asked in that low voice again. She nodded and again and he moved off instantly.</p><p>She hearted him so bad at that moment.</p><p>He hadn’t hovered; he hadn’t stayed there not trusting her word. He made sure she had it and then took her at her word, trusting that if she needed help she’d ask. She watched his worn jeans as he peeked out the window. Damn. She wanted to do horribly limber things to that man. Clearing her throat she looked away from his ass and back to the priest, thinking that Dean's ass vs. the clergy was an excellent spectrum to demonstrate temptation and righteousness. "Any other way out of there?"</p><p>The priest shook his head "Back way only, but they can cover that easy.."</p><p>Dean looked back "Ain’t no way to sneak out…" he said trailing off.</p><p>"Which means fighting out." she said grimly "Got it." Fighting a pack of demons right now sounded very bad. Hell fighting Clem right now sounded iffy to her. Arm wrestling her buddy demon might make her need a nap, and Clem was likely to lend her a pillow. These were not buddies outside. She might be wounded, but it didn't matter. Getting out and getting Dean out mattered. She wasn’t going to slow Dean down by acting like a weepy bitch now. "I’m gonna need a blade." she said letting go of the pew completely and trying to balance.</p><p>"Yeah right." Dean said moving past her towards the alter.</p><p>She watched him walk by "What, I can fight!?"</p><p>He looked over his shoulder with a smirk "Yeah, my grandmother maybe." he began looking through the small podium in the center of the altar "No, I take that back, my grandmother was pretty tough."</p><p>Her voice was serious "Dean, I can fight."</p><p>He grabbed something from within and rushed past her to Manny "I know, just not now," He held up a sports water bottle "I need this filled with holy water, and do me a favor and bless it again."</p><p>The priest nodded as he rushed off to fill it. Dean looked outside again and then turned back to Faith "Ok, I think I can make us a path to the car. How fast you think you can hobble?"</p><p>Her newfound glow of him was beginning to diminish. He was totally unplugging the emotional Lite Brite he had lit up moments before. "Dean, look. I am a slayer, I can fight, this is what I do."</p><p>He came up quickly next to her, his hands slapping her chest with enough force to knock her back. Her arms actually pinwheeled as she started to fall back. He lashed out and grabbed her wrist and pulled her back up. Their eyes locked for a moment, hers flashing with anger, his calm with what looked like infinite patience. "This isn’t about babying you, this is about protecting my girlfriend." he said flatly "This is about us getting out of here and getting those demons away from this neighborhood." he moved his hand from her wrist to her hand and encircled his fingers through hers "So do me a favor and stop trying to be Ripley or Sarah Conner and just accept the fact you’re hurt right now." his voice got the closet to pleading she had heard from him "Please?"</p><p>She stood there, her hand in his for a long few seconds and then she said "Girlfriend?"</p><p>He sighed and let go of her hand "Just be ready to move as fast as you can ok?" he said moving back towards the window.</p><p>She just stood there, stunned. Girlfriend?</p><p>About a minute later Manny came back, the sports bottle was dripping water and filled to the max. He handed it over to Dean and made a cross over the hunter’s chest "God go with you."</p><p>Dean nodded "Never has before…but first time for everything." he said moving towards Faith. "You ready?"</p><p>Was he serious? She was still wrestling this concept he had presented wherein she was someone's girlfriend. Because she was sure she had never been that before. The word was making her brain sluggish like the entire definition was not compatible with her thinking format. Like she might not be able to process until she had broken down this new word and made sense of it.. She looked at him slowly "Girlfriend?"</p><p>He rolled his eyes "Man, don’t be such a girl about it." he said wryly "It’s just a word." he grabbed her hand with his free one and said "Ready to run?"</p><p>She took a deep breath and nodded "Why do I feel like I am about to jump off a cliff with you?" Like Thelma and Louise?she wondered but being Dean, he was thinking Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.</p><p>Dean’s smile was electric in the dim light "Because at times like this I am as smooth and handsome as a young Paul Newman."</p><p>She gave him her most serious stare "No, you aren’t." Because he wasn't. He was way better looking than Newman. She would hold onto that sentiment for a bit. Dean didn't need to know how fully she was stupid over him.</p><p>He frowned slightly and pulled her along "Come on."</p><p>As soon as the door opened two suits tried to grab them, and then began to scream as a serious spray of holy water hit them both in the face. They stepped over them as more came running up the steps. Dean very carefully took aim and squeezed the bottle, arcing the line of water across their chests as one. They all began to smoke and pat themselves as if on fire. As they moved by Dean took aim at one of their knees and stepped down with a satisfying crunch, Faith pulled the knife from the back of his jeans and slit the other one’s neck from ear to ear.</p><p>The next two that came running up slowed a bit.</p><p>Dean maneuvered them towards the Impala slowly. "Can you manage the door and getting in?" he said softly. She nodded her head as she watched another two circle around behind them. "Ok…on three I’m tossing you towards the car, my keys are in your jacket. Get in; make sure they are in the ignition while I make a break for the driver’s side." She nodded again as the Slayer part inside of her growled at running away from a fight. "Ok…here we go."</p><p>And he pushed her towards the car.</p><p>He water bottle fired again as the two demons tried to jump out of its radius, letting Faith slam into the passenger door unmolested. Part of her wanted to watch to see if he was ok, but the smarter part knew he was counting on her for her part.</p><p>Dean squirted wide behind him and was rewarded with a scream as he raced towards the injured man in front of him, springing up over him and onto the Impala’s trunk. Another two were moving between him and the driver’s door with wary eyes. He heard more running up from behind him as he drew his gun with his other hand and placed it next to the water bottle as he aimed.</p><p>The demon dodged the water but not the bullet.</p><p>The man’s head shot backwards as his dodge moved him right into the bullet’s path. The other demon’s eyes widened as Dean brought the gun up again, squirting the water this time to where the man was going to have to jump towards. Jumping off the trunk to the door Dean slid the gun into his pocket as he grabbed the top of the water bottle with his teeth. He pulled it off with one jerk as he opened the door; a hand grabbed his shoulder as he knelt to get in. He tossed the remaining water over his shoulder and heard the sound of sizzling flesh. Slipping into the driver’s side his hand wrapped around the keys and began to turn it over before the door was even closed.</p><p>The Impala never let him down. Always played her part with a gleam of pride. She purred to life instantly and sprang out of the parking space like a race horse, the momentum of the car slamming the door completely closed as they drove.</p><p>They were on the road, just like anyone, if you didn't count their exit from the church. That was a new twist, but they were alive. Not possessed or being tortured. It was something. Faith finally eased back to the seat, not sitting on the edge like she might be tipped out suddenly. She even let herself breathe again, just for good measure.</p><p>His car was kinda tanklike. Not that it...she was bulky really, but she was strong. Faith could just tell, the car had seen some things. For some reason she felt safer once she had closed the passenger side door. Yeah, there were smoking scalded PISSED demons right outside the steel doors, but she felt like she had an edge once she was in the car. Because it was Dean's. Ugh. She was a girl. She could just keep from saying stuff like that outloud.</p><p>Girlfriend.</p><p>The soft strains of music started when he turned the key but only now did she hear the sounds of classic Heart singing about their Magic Man. It could have been the Macerena and she would have been happy, as along as it hadn't been Air Supply. She sank into the leather seat of the Impala, and didn't open her eyes until she felt him bump her arm. She cracked one eye over and saw him hading her a sweet pair of Ray-Bans. With a sliver of a smile, she nodded her thanks and put on the glasses. Her body was healing up, right as rain, but she felt exhausted and not a little ashamed.</p><p>It burned to be some demon's puppet and then, the things 'Meg' had done with her body? It came back in vivid red splashes of memory as she listened to the thick thrumming engine of the Impala.</p><p>"Dean."</p><p>As he glanced her way, she felt like her throat might close off. While he might be down with getting her demon-less, he might not like the aftermath. Except, there had been that kiss and maybe since it was a long kiss, it almost counted as more than one. Not to mention, in a church. He didn't seem to care about the religious surroundings when he was getting reacquainted with her. Because he had come back. She might not ever get over that wild burst of joy she felt burn right in her center, knowing he had come back.</p><p>For her.</p><p>He deserved to have some truth, because she had no idea how fast things might come slamming down around them and she was not sticking by her own rules. Dean Winchester was...different. She was not able to lie to herself and say she didn't care what happened to him. He made her want to do things a little closer to right.</p><p>"You should know, there might be worse things coming. I don't want you to be taken by surprise or think I was holding back. I know I was...not telling you everything before- but I've gotten used to hiding my cards, you know?"</p><p>She winced and sat up in the seat, wanting to check herself for any tell-tale demon signs. Was it written all over her how easy she'd been? How she had let some hellbitch in her body? She ran both hands through her hair, massaging her scalp hard. She felt like herself, no trace of Meg still swimming around, but the loss of control had been sickening and fearful. Worse than the coma had been. Her voice was a little hoarse when she started talking.</p><p>"There's a dead pizza boy back at the room. I wouldn't even go back there but... I have some stuff I need. Weapons don't come cheap once you quit stealing them."</p><p>Thinking of that reminded her of his handgun and she winced.</p><p>"BY the way I can get you another piece. I'm... sorry... about the one you lost."</p><p>His eyes were frank and quick, but they lingered still that new light.. Like maybe she could not weird him out any more. That was a slice of hope..</p><p>"I have my gun back." His lips barely smiled. "Got it from Clem."</p><p>"You saw Clem? Where? Why? They didn't come looking for you, did they?"</p><p>She was straightening like her hackles were coming up, and they were. A bar fight was one thing but she had laid out the law while hoisting Dean out of there. He was under her protection, clear as fucking cut glass- and they better not have been-</p><p>"Whoa chill out Xena." he said with a grin "I went to talk to him. Not the other way around. I was looking for you."</p><p>"So you went back to a demon bar."</p><p>Stated flatly, Dean could see how some might think it was a bad idea. But he had not been swimming in great ideas and just left to choose one. He opened his mouth to say something in his defense, but she was reaching over. Faith touched his hand on the wheel, her fingers curving over his in a soft squeeze before she let go.</p><p>"You are full of surprises, hunter."</p><p>She smiled, the first true smile she had shown since he had left after their fight. Maybe she was wrong for getting all warm inside over him doing something so dangerous, but hey, plenty of girls got roses. Dean went into a demon bar alone to ask where she might be. She couldn't quite think of it as anything but impressive.</p><p>Dean's grin was a slow burn and it was not good for her concentration on the matter at hand. It was almost easy to forget she had just told him about a dead body. She looked out the window to get her bearings and watched the steady clip of pedestrians and vehicles slide past. All those people that didn't know what was seething under their feet wanting to take them under. Whatever it was Willow was sensing, it had been Faith's experience that most stuff working from the ground up was just bad news. All the way.</p><p>She saw smoke before they even turned the block and only Dean's hand on her arm kept her from lunging out the door of the Chevy. God. The hotel, her room- was ablaze like it had been burning for hours. As if they had not left this place a little bit ago. She snarled in fury and felt the black smoke rolling from the building hitting her eyes.</p><p>"No! GodDAMNit!"</p><p>Faith felt like she had been sucker punched and landed in a bed of glass. All of her supplies and weapons were in that blistering heat. Her clothes. Her phone. Her stupid Slayer book that should have been stupid but wasn't really because Wesley finally manned up and gave it to her. Telling her she had earned it. Now all she had was feeding that crackling heat.</p><p>She took a step forward, operating completely on anger at the moment. She was not aware really of anyone around them, or the firefighters arriving to shout commands at the onlookers and one another.</p><p>The press of people was lost on her as she began moving closer to the building when her hand was pulled behind her by Dean. She gripped it back automatically or maybe he was holding her hand she wasn't sure, but she did know she was being pulled back and away.</p><p>He placed his other hand on her shoulder and began to lead her away as he looked over his shoulder. Maybe she had wanted to bolt inside just to try to get her book and knives- but that wasn't happening once the burning floors started playing Jenga. A losing game of Jenga. Not that any game of Jenga could be won, in fact the point of the stupid game wasn't to win, it was not to be the won holding the stick when it collapsed.</p><p>Faith had been caught holding the damn stick.</p><p>Hanging her head, Faith shook with her anger, wanting to grab anyone nearby that even sneezed funny when she noticed him leading her back to the car. Were there demons around right now? Watching? Getting their evil quota up by shadowing hunters and slayers? She hated the aching bite to her belly that said 'yes' something was around. Something wicked this way comes. That feeling, and Dean wasn't a Slayer- but he seemed to have a similar instinct for places not to be right now. His eyes were sweeping over the crowd just before he was on his way back to the Impala. She was going with, since they seemed to be welded at the hand.</p><p>She made herself quit gripping his hand, not sure how tight she was holding, but he hadn't yelped or anything. He wasn't even running to the car. Striding and she was hurrying to match him.</p><p>"Where are we going? Where can we go?" she asked hating the amazing amount of not cool in her voice when she had said it.</p><p>She felt chilled by her sense of premonition, not used to feeling it so gung-ho strong in daylight. With the rich vibrant sun overhead. Usually daytime was when a Slayer could relax a little. Not so right now. She was not even sure she would be safe calling the Council. What if they had spies that had seen Meg trawling around in her body? What if they thought she had turned rogue again? Head pounding, Faith whispered. "Seriously, Dean...if you want to just... drop me off at the bus station... we'd be five by five. I would understand. This is going to batshit crazy in a hurry."</p><p>He didn't say anything, he just opened the passenger door and half shoved her in as he kept looking around. She watched him move around and get in. He started the car but didn't peel out, he just sat and watched.</p><p>"You have contacts, you said. You can go one way, I'll go the other- no hard feelings. What you did, coming to help me- getting that thing out of me...I can't repay that...but I can tell you you don't owe me anything. You don't have to get deeper here."</p><p>His eyes flickered to her and then back to the crowd. She wasn't sure what he was waiting for after some point he shifted into drive and said "Buckle up."</p><p>She instinctively grabbed the seatbelt looking at the intense look on his face. As soon as metal touched metal the car lept out of the parking lot, two cars swerved out of their way as he pulled away at fifty moving to 70 in a blur.</p><p>"What the..." she asked stunned for a moment.</p><p>"Being followed" he said, his eyes scanning the rear view mirror "Black car four cars back."</p><p>She spun around and looked in the rear view mirror. Sure enough a black sedan was worming around the other cars, trying to keep up with Dean's insane pace. "Got a regular convoy." She sat back down "Wait" she said after a second "You were waiting for them?"</p><p>He flashed that grin as he ran a red light "Yep." he watched the car behind them almost cause an accident.</p><p>"Why?" she asked in surprise.</p><p>He looked at her like she was slow "So they'd follow."</p><p>Oh, yeah, Of course. Who wouldn't want that?</p><p>He pulled screaming into a parking lot for a trashy little motel. The car was barely parked when he jumped out "Come on!"</p><p>She jumped out, running on pure adrenaline as she followed him up a flight of stairs. He unlocked the door and held it open as she rushed in, she heard him slam and lock it and then practically dived to the bed. She looked out the window and saw the sedan fly in, almost colliding with the Impala. "They're here." she said over her shoulder.</p><p>"Here" he said handing her a canister of salt.</p><p>She looked at it as he took one of his own and knelt down by the door. "What is this?" she asked "We doing tequila shots?" Body shots, her mind added with a wink.</p><p>He didn't even look up as he started to pour salt over the threshold "Pour it on the windowsill."</p><p>She hesitated again "I don't get..."</p><p>"SALT. WINDOW. NOW!" he bellowed and she opened the salt and began to pour. Say what you would, Dean had a big yell.</p><p>"Make sure it's an unbroken line, no gaps." he instructed, his voice back to normal. She did as he said, seeing the shadows of two men pass by the window. Dean stood and looked at her work "Awesome" he said leading her by the arm "Come on." he said taking the salt and tossing in on the table. He lead her to the bathroom and gestured for her to walk in "After you."</p><p>Pounding came echoing through the room "Open up you two! We know you're in there!!"</p><p>Dean rolled his eyes as he mocked "We know you're in there! Who the hell says that?"</p><p>"They probably watch a lot of action movies. Bad ones. With Steven Segal." They made identical faces over the very idea, even as they were heading for the 'panic room' of sorts.</p><p>The pounding on the door grew faint as he closed the bathroom door and locked it. She looked at him with an arched eyebrow "Bathroom?"</p><p> </p><p>He nodded and pulled back the shower curtain "Most defensible room in any motel. No windows, all walls...bathtub." he gestured get in.</p><p>She looked to the tub and then smiled "If you wanted to take a bath..."</p><p>He smirked at her "Get in the damn tub. You still look like you're gonna fall over."</p><p>She got in as he climbed in next to her, it was cramped but not impossible. Dean was tall and muscular, took up his share of the tub for sure- but if they cuddled from the side? It was comfortable. Doable. Dean was way doable. He slipped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in. He smelt like sweat, blood and gun oil...it was the best pillow she ever had. She placed her head on his shoulder, the pounding outside almost drifted away as her body screamed for sleep. She wanted a big breakfast like now. Breakfast in bed would be even better. Belgian waffles off of Dean's belly.</p><p>She knew she was a little loopy needing to crash and yet, she wanted to stay awake. To keep hearing Dean talk and feel him next to her like this. He was managing to surprise her on a regular basis. Girlfriend, even. She would never forget his arms wrapping around her before she could hit the church floor. A Watcher would have Watched- because after all, a Slayer could take it. She could heal any damage so minor- except Dean was acting as damage control...and that was a revelation.</p><p>After a long while she said "You came back for me."</p><p>She felt him half shrug and say "I guess I did." another pause and then "Why does that surprise you so much?"</p><p>He couldn't know how much he was tipping her world over and spinning it. Dean was just being himself, and like a sudden rainstorm- he was as devestating as he was refreshing. She looked up at him "Cause no one ever has." she said it as matter of factly as possible, trying not to illicit any pity points.</p><p>He just chuckled and pulled her back to his shoulder "That's ok. I've never come back for anyone before." She liked that answer and began to drift off.</p><p>In a sleepy voice she asked the question that had been tugging at her brain. "How did you know it wasn't me?"</p><p>She felt his spine stiffen and he stammered "Um that...I mean..." he hissed out a sarcastic tsk "it was easy..."</p><p>She pulled back and looked at him, he lied very, very badly. "How did you know?"</p><p>He opened his mouth to lie, she could see it. And then something in their eyes met and it just dropped from him face. In a very small voice he said "You're gonna get freaked out."</p><p>She tried not to bark out a laugh. He looked like a little boy that had been caught with hand in the cookie jar. "Dean? I don't do freaked. Ever."</p><p>He tried to look away and but finally his shoulders slumped and he sighed "When I saw you...her in the towel...all I could think of was fucking you."</p><p>She paused as her eyebrows shot up. This was getting interesting. Because from where Faith had been sitting, in the back row of her brain- Dean had played it pretty glacial with Meg. He had said 'no' and had the demoness hustling to her own eviction.</p><p>"I mean it was torture. Every second she stood there i wanted to throw you down and slam you like there was no tomorrow. It was just hell..."</p><p>Slamming sounded awesome and she almost said so, but shut her mouth until the porn words were mostly evaporated from her brain. Shelved, more like. She was confused as she smiled slightly "Um, Dean. What do you want to do when I am in my body?"</p><p>He rubbed the back of his head "See that's just it...when we're like this...I mean so far..." he sighed again and his face fell as he looked at his boots "When I'm this close to you all I want to do is kiss you. I want to kiss you so bad it aches." he looked up at her with those incredible eyes and said "I didn't want to kiss her at all." he shrugged "That's how I knew it wasn't you."</p><p>That was the most romantic and sexy thing she had ever heard. It might have left her speechless for a few beats. Her eyes were moist as she saw the embarrassment in his face and the honesty of his answer. She began to say something and then just gave up. She leaned in and kissed him like she had kissed no one else before. He grabbed the back of her head and they consumed each other with their lips for several seconds. When she pulled away she knew, no matter what happened next...THIS guy would always be a part of her.</p><p>"Come on" he said pulling her back next to him "You are beat and need to heal. Those demons are like dogs. They smell a bone they go on for hours but sooner or later they'll wander off."</p><p>She nestled back into his shoulder "So then what?"</p><p>He sighed "Well Lindsey has a Mormon family worth of demons after us, we are no closer to finding the girls and whoever is behind this wants you and me in a Micheal Jackson sort of way." he paused "We're gonna need a bigger boat."</p><p>She chuckled "Have anything in mind?"</p><p>He nodded "I have two of the smelliest, hairiest, ugliest size fourteen boats in the world in mind." he looked down at her and grinned "Wanna meet my brother?"</p><p>His smile was infectious. Demons swarming, blood and sleep deprivation had nothing on Dean grinning like that. Faith nodded and skimmed her thumb across his lower lip.</p><p>"I'm in."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Part Seven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The car was silent as a grave as they drove towards Stanford.</p><p>The rumble of the engine was like being surrounded by a huge sabertooth tiger who seemed infinitely pleased to be simply running. Faith leaned up against the cold glass of the passenger side and watched the darkness race by as the quiet threatened to push her out of the car. She could see Dean in the reflection of the glass, his profile looked angry as he gripped the wheel with both hands and watched the road appear out in front of him as he drove.</p><p>She sighed as she went back to watching the darkness as the quiet grew larger. He had been silent since the bathroom. No, that wasn’t true, silent would indicate an absence of sound, that was silent. This wasn’t silence, this was screaming with no sound. This was a deafening nothing that was threatening to make her head explode.</p><p>It had been going so well too.</p><p>Her head had been on his shoulder, they had decided to go grab his brother, who was a hunter or maybe a bigfoot, she hadn’t caught the salient details. It was going perfect…so of course she couldn’t leave well enough alone. She couldn’t just stop talking and rest. She wasn’t capable of just relaxing there as the demon’s pounding began to take on a Phil Collins like tempo in the background. Because she was not just any girl and Dean was not just any boy. He was special and she was fucked. The more she knew about him, the longer she stayed near him- the less she could ignore the obvious. Dean so did not need her tangling up his wires.</p><p>When they were in the bathtub, which was like a foxhole with water and the smell of baby shampoo- all she could do was try.</p><p>"So salt?" she asked.</p><p>He looked over at her; he had thought she had dozed off apparently. He smirked "You don’t run from demons a lot do you?"</p><p>She shook her head as she felt the warmth in his hand "Never had to."</p><p>He chuckled under his breath "Well the rest of us, who don’t eat our Slayer spinach, have to do things a different way." he said leaning in to her "Most evil can’t cross a salt line, just are just not capable of breeching it." he sighed a little "So they can pound all they want. All we need to do is wait for the cops to show up and chase them off."</p><p>She felt herself stiffen now next to him "Cops?"</p><p>He nodded half asleep himself "Yeah. Lindsey seems to be making a go of it as a normal human and all. He’ll have his guys rabbit before he has them blow his cover." he tried to get comfortable again "It’s a straight shot to Stanford from here, we might make it by the afternoon."</p><p>She sat there, completely awake now. "Cops?" she said again, more to herself than to Dean.</p><p>He paused and sat up some "Yeah…cops. Police. Fuzz. Blue Meanies." he saw the look on her face "What is it?"</p><p>She knew she was pale as her heart sounded like a bass drum in her chest "Um…cops could be bad." she said.</p><p>He narrowed his eyes for a moment and then hit his head slightly "The pizza guy." he said "I forgot."</p><p>She sighed as she looked down and shook her head "No. Not just the pizza guy." her stomach was doing backflips as she realized what she had to do next. The last thing she wanted to do had just scaled her list to take first place on what she HAD to do.</p><p>"Hungry?"</p><p>Faith looked over at him and realized she had dozed slightly. He was pulling off the road and a small gas station was ahead. She sat up "Um…" and her stomach rumbled. She loved Slayer healing, she hated Slayer hunger.</p><p>"Ok" he said with no expression as he pulled up next to a pump. He pulled out the keys and handed them to her "I gotta piss and will get us some food. You mind filling her up?"</p><p>She took the keys, studying his face to see if this was some kind of message, or sign of some kind. But he showed nothing as he stared at her waiting. She nodded and took the keys; he was out of the car in seconds. She watched him walk in and ask the guy for the restroom key before disappearing..</p><p>"At least I have his keys so he can’t ditch me." she said to herself as she unlocked the gas tank. As the gas began to flow she leaned back on the car, she should have never said anything. This was why she didn’t go blabbing all the time about herself. Every time she opened her mouth something came out that chased people away. Or maybe she chased them away before they could tell her to go.</p><p>"Remember when I said I was an ex-con?" she had said. Dean nodded in the dim light of the bathroom, his eyes not understanding a bit. "Well I wasn’t trying to yank your chain or trying to be all tough like Pinky Tuscadero."</p><p>His smile got wide "You think Pinky was a con?"</p><p>Faith looked at him like he was stupid "Well duh. How do you think she met Fonz?"</p><p>He laughed at that "Fonz was not a con." he said.</p><p>"If he wasn’t a con why did he do all his business in a bathroom?" she said wryly "Trust me, Fonz had done time."</p><p>"And met Pinky there?" he added.</p><p>"Um Yeah" Faith said "Most likely they had a thing but it didn’t work out. You know how it is when two terribly cool people try and get together?" she said offhandedly.</p><p>He leaned in close and whispered "Um…they get stuck in a bathtub hiding from demons?" And then he kissed her, or she kissed him. It was all muddled now.</p><p>The pump clicked off as Faith was brought back to the here and now. She stowed the hose away and locked up the tank, taking a glance over to the gas station. Dean was standing there with a couple of drinks in his hands while the guy bagged something. He looked so…normal?</p><p>Well not normal he looked smoking hot, even under the washed out 7/11 lights and dirty plane glass. But he looked like a normal guy, just buying supplies for a road trip in the middle of the night. Maybe a college guy, trying to get back before the weekend was up, maybe heading home to a house and a family somewhere. Whatever it was, he looked perfectly normal, the guy behind the counter smiled and nodded his head at whatever Dean had said and Faith felt her stomach lurch. He looked completely normal.</p><p>Except for the freak who was riding shotgun.</p><p>She thought about running for a second. Tossing the keys on the front seat and just bolting into the night. She had no idea where she was or where she might be going…but she needed to get away from here. Away from him. It was a familiar feeling, it had been the same feeling she ended up getting no matter who she had met or gone out with. She had hoped this feeling wouldn’t come around again, that somehow by coming clean she had given it the slip somewhere. But here it was, pushing her slightly in the back, telling her, imploring her to take off now before he turned towards the car and her.</p><p>Cut this line and let the boy go. Wait on the highway for some trucker to find her. Get back into L.A., shove Lindsey’s demonic head up his ass, stop whatever was going on and leave. Just leave. Fuck Giles, fuck Wesley- fuck everyone. Just head out, grab a bike and pick a direction. If Giles was right about his destiny thing, she’d end up wherever she needed to be.</p><p>"Coke or Pepsi?"</p><p>She spun around, dropping the keys in shock as she faced him and the two bottles. "What?"</p><p>He held each bottle up as he said "Coke or Pepsi?" he paused "They were all out of Jack so I got one of each."</p><p>She leaned down, grabbed the keys and then grabbed the Coke. She pressed the keys into his hand as she walked around the car to the passenger side "Thanks" she murmured. Not for the first time, it occurred to her that she had no money on her whatsoever. She was not saying as much to Dean yet, because yeah, he knew her gear went up in flames. He wasn't stupid and she had the feeling it might infringe on his sense of nobility and hospitality if she mentioned the money thing. Something about Dean made her unsure of the rules, even the ones she had made up herself. As she got in he tossed a bag onto her lap.</p><p>"They only had those burrito things, but they had four of them, so least they’ll make a meal." he said starting the car.</p><p>She looked into the bag and tried not to tear up as they pulled out. Fuck. She was getting misty over fucking burritos now. This was officially the worst night of her life.</p><p>She pulled back from the kiss and laughed "Ok…ok" she said as he tried to lean in again "Dean" she said trying to sound as serious as she could. He wasn’t listening and pushed in again for another kiss. He was irresistible, in spades. Especially the way he made those soft sounds like he was hungry when he kissed. It was incredibly difficult to stop him.. She sighed and gave into him, since he wasn’t the only one wanting. Her fingers slid into his hair and her nails grazed his nape- which he seemed to like. She liked it right back. He was a phenomenal kisser, toe curling good. After a good amount of time she pushed him back "Ok stop."</p><p>He smiled and looked into her eyes "Collaborate and listen."</p><p>She stopped and stared at him for a second "Was that Vanilla Ice?"</p><p>He still had that same dumb smile "Yep" and he kissed her again in her shock. She had to admit, she let him get away with it. Another few minutes and she pushed him back "Ok Ice…hold up."</p><p>This time he leaned back "Ok what? You were a bad person and did horrible things. I got it." he said quickly "If the cops come I can handle it."</p><p>She was tempted to believe it. Like he would what, tell the cops she was with him and they'd just have to give ground? Dean had a way of saying things that made you feel buoyed along by his charisma. He began to lean in again and she almost let him do it. Almost let it drop, after all, she had tried and gotten away with it. She could safely say later that she had tried to tell him. If she was game for playing Dean. Was she? Faith hissed inside and knew she couldn't. Not him.</p><p>With more determination, her hands pressed against his chest anew. "Dean wait."</p><p>He paused; the confusion in his face was real now. In a low voice he asked "What is it?"</p><p>She took a deep breath "I think…no, I know. You need to know the whole story."</p><p>He didn’t say anything, he just stared with those horribly big, understanding green eyes.</p><p>SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!!</p><p>"The cops are looking for me for more than the pizza guy." she said, every word was like a knife to herself. She looked but he said nothing "When I said I left…I didn’t mean as in seal of approval or time off for good whatever. I just left." she couldn’t keep looking at him now "I had some things to do."</p><p>"Like?" he asked softly.</p><p>She looked up at him and saw there was no easy way to tell this story. No shortcut in which she could just say ‘I needed to stop Angel who had lost his soul so I needed to stop him before they killed him since he had believed in me when I camr to L.A. and see, I'd been fooled into…'</p><p>Sigh.</p><p>Why oh why couldn’t there just be a Previously on Faith the Vampire Slayer?</p><p>"Ok" she said sitting straight up "Once upon a time there was a princess named Buffy. Who got everything she wanted. One day she got a mole and it turned out she was The Slayer. She burnt down her high school and had to move to Sunnydale, weird capital of the world. There she met The Master, who was an old vampire, who killed her while she wore a nice dress and she died." she took a breath "From that we got Kendra."</p><p>"Who?" Dean asked.</p><p>"Don’t worry." Faith said under her breath "She won’t be around long enough to matter." another breath "Kendra got iced by Drusilla, which is a lot like saying you got killed by an assassin from Jerry’s kids, which meant a new Slayer was called up from the minors."</p><p>She looked at Dean who pointed to her in question, she nodded "I was just a potential before that. I could see vampires, knew they were real. I mean I could just sense them around, had feelings…well I knew I was different." she paused "My mother thought I was crazy." she stopped, wondering if even bringing up her crazy, alcoholic mother was even part of the story, much less something she wanted to share with anyone…but that was it wasn’t it? For some reason Dean made her want to share this crap. For the first time she wanted someone, anyone to know her. All of her.</p><p>Fuck that.</p><p>"Anyways Kendra croaked and all of a sudden I was The Slayer." she said "And I thought it was the coolest thing in the entire world." she said softly "I mean I thought I was the shit, all super strong, fast, invulnerable.. I could go where I wanted, do what I wanted…was just…everything you would think getting super powers would be like." she saw him smile as she went on "See this whole Slayer thing used to be different. Used to be One slayer at any one time. One died, another was called up. No big deal. Not the most perfect of systems, but it had been working for thousands of years." a bitter sigh "Enter Buffy. See Buffy had been killed by The Master…"</p><p>"In the really nice dress." Dean added.</p><p>Faith grinned "Buffy was in the dress but thanks for that image." she said shaking her head "So Buffy died…for like five minutes. Xander" she saw Dean’s face "Friend of hers, total crushing on her" he nodded "gave her mouth to mouth and brought her back to life. But she was dead.."</p><p>"Making Kendra." Dean said/asked.</p><p>"Yep. So when Kendra got dead…"</p><p>"And made you" Dean said "Buffy was still alive."</p><p>"Alive and kicking." she said "So I headed to California to meet the legend…" she said wistfully "…meet someone else different like me." Faith remembered meeting Buffy and how hard she had tried to fit in with the Scoobies. How nice it had felt for like six seconds to be a part of something where you weren’t just a freak, more than just the hot girl who puts out. A something where you could be a hero. Make a difference. Do anything but what she had been doing.</p><p>"Well that didn’t work out all that well." she went on "See Buffy had a thing for Angel…"</p><p>"Mexican guy?" Dean asked.</p><p>"Vampire" she amended "Vampire with a soul." She saw his face fall into confusion "Two types of vamps out there, the mystical kind, that are inhabited by a demonic soul. Vulnerable to sunlight, stakes, turn to ash and soot when staked. Then there is a biological kind, tough, strong, blood sucking, but really just a mutant thing rather than the vampire you’re familiar with from movies and all that. Angel was the first kind, but he had a soul." she completely bypassed how Angel was one of the most perfect looking men of any generation. How his name came from his innate perfection, the face of an angel, the soul of a devil. "He was on the side good, fighting the good fight and all that…but I didn’t buy it."</p><p>She looked at Dean with tired eyes "All I saw was a vampire. So I went after Angel which of course pissed off Buffy and after that…well things were never the same. We tolerated each other…but we were never going to braid our hair and watch Titanic at night if you get my drift. But we had more than enough evil to go around so we kept at it.</p><p>And then…" her voice choked for a moment "…and then…" her throat was closing up.</p><p>"Faith?" he asked, his hand coming close to her.</p><p>She pulled back from him, if she gave in now, accepted his warmth and comfort she would never get through this. She would collapse into his arms and never bring this up again. Ever. Taking the deepest breath she could she said "There was this guy…"</p><p>"Faith you don’t have to do this." he said in that god damned accepting voice.</p><p>"There was this guy…" she tried again.</p><p>"Faith it doesn’t matter what you did before…" and he touched her arm.</p><p>"…and I killed him!" she said pulling back. "There was this guy and I fucking killed him. Shoved a stake through his heart."</p><p>Dean paused for a moment "Was he a vampire? A demon?"</p><p>"He was a deputy mayor!" she said almost yelling. In a more subdued voice "He was a human and he was a stupid deputy mayor and I killed him."</p><p>They were both silent for a second and Dean asked in a real low voice "Did you know he was a human when you staked him?"</p><p>She shook her head, the memory all these years later still stung. Still was like a damn hot iron in her eye. That was the moment her old life ended, and this one began.</p><p>"Well then if you didn’t know it was…" he started to say.</p><p>"And then I joined the bad guys." she said cutting him off. His mouth was still half opened. "His name was Richard, and he was the mayor of Sunnydale. And he was the bad guy." she said as plainly as possible. "He was trying to…he was trying to make himself a god." her held fell as she spoke "He used me. He made me feel loved, he made me feel welcomed…and I became the bad guy." she was tired, so fucking tired "I was his killer, his little pet slayer. I killed men for him, tried to kill Buffy…anything he wanted. In the end Buffy stabbed me in the gut and left me for dead and he got killed trying to destroy the graduating class." Why couldn’t it end already? Why couldn’t she just get some rest? "When I came to…when I came to I fucked Buffy over and ran to L.A. Where I met Lindsey." she paused "The real Lindsey. He hired me to kill Angel…which I tried to do but…" again her voice cracked "…but…I couldn’t. Angel talked to me and I finally turned myself in." a single tear rolled down her cheek "He convinced me I had to stop running…that I had to try to make things right. So I did. Sat in prison for awhile before Wesley came to me, told me Angel was in trouble. So I broke out to save him…never went back." another gulp of air "Since then I’ve worked the side of good, done what I can to make it right. Me and Buffy are about as ok as we will ever get…but no matter how much I do I will never wash away the blood of all those people I killed for him. Never not see them staring up and me with dead eyes." she shuddered "So if the cops come it’s bad." she looked at Dean "And maybe you should just say you don’t know me."</p><p>He stared at her with an odd expression. Not one muscle in his face twitched as he looked at her. She felt like her skin was crawling as he just stared. She wanted to scream ‘Get it over with!’ Wanted to holler ‘Just hate me and get it over with.’</p><p>The silence was awful but finally he said "It's over."</p><p>She blinked a few times "What?"</p><p>He stood up "The pounding, it's over."</p><p>He was right about the pounding but she wasn't sure that was what he meant. He got out and opened the bathroom door and peeked out. "Nothing" he said as he walked into the room. She got up and followed him; her body felt better actually as she saw him peek out the window "They took off." Dean said in confusion.</p><p>"Dean, look…" she began.</p><p>"We should go now." he said turning around grabbing his gear "Before they come back with friends." he walked past her and grabbed the salt and other things lying around.</p><p>He looked up as he tossed his dirty clothes into the sack "Can you grab those books?" he said pointing.</p><p>She walked over and scooped them up, the pit in her stomach getting worse. He took them from her and stuffed them in also "Ok let’s roll." he said moving out the front door. She followed a pace behind looking behind her at the open bathroom and the tub. How had this gone from being the best day of her life to this?</p><p>"You’re wrong."</p><p>She jumped at the sound of his voice and looked over to him. He still wasn’t looking at her but he said again "You are wrong about Pinky and Fonz. They didn’t meet in prison."</p><p>She sat up slightly "Oh yeah?" This wasn’t what she expected but hey it was vocal, good start.</p><p>He shook his head "Fonz was never in jail." he said in an authoritative voice "Standing next to Pinky he looked like a poser, it was obvious she was the tough one. He just had the looks."</p><p>"Ok" she said not getting it. But if Dean wanted to talk, she wanted to listen.</p><p>"He met her after she got out." he said glancing over at her for a second "He met her when all she thought of herself was an ex con and a washout.." she just gazed at him as he talked "She still had that whole tough bitch attitude, but he knew under there was a real person, a real girl who wanted to be loved and liked for herself and not her street cred." he kinda coughed "A lot of guys would bang a girl out of prison cause you know they would seem easy, and kind of hot." he grinned "But deep down I bet some of those girls don’t want to be liked for that. I bet they want to be liked for who they really are, not some attitude." he kept driving but somehow the quiet in the car wasn’t as oppressive "Pinky played a slut and a tough bitch, but deep down…I bet she was a cool chick, but people just assumed she was a hot piece of ass and nothing else. And Fonz…Fonz knew what it was like for people to just see the outside and the cool and never once see the person within. He had been playing that tough guy crap for so long, people just assumed he was dumb and pretty. So they had that in common." he nodded "That was how they knew each other, and that was why they were like that."</p><p>She was blown away. Did he just make a valid life point using Happy Days? In a ragged voice she asked "But they never went out on the show." she said "They never really got together." she paused "What do you think the reason for that was?"</p><p>He looked at her and smirked "Shitty writing." He held out a hand to her and she looked at it like he was going to punch her "So you fucked up. Ok. You think you sitting in jail does the world any more good than going out and doing this?" he said, no smile at all on his face "I was wrong. You aren’t a freak. You are human Faith, and humans fuck up. All the time." he gestured his hand at her again "And how human would I be if I couldn’t forgive you for it?" She hesitantly took his hand and he pulled her across the seat to him "So you were the bad guy for a while." he said curling an arm around her "You got better." he drove as he smiled "That’s all that counts."</p><p>"You’re serious?" she asked looking over at him.</p><p>He looked back at her "You plan on killing someone now or taking over the world or something?"</p><p>She shook her head no in disbelief.</p><p>"Well then fuck it." he said "What is in the past, is in the past." he said pulling her close again. After a while he said in a low voice "Sides…evil chicks are hot."</p><p>She smiled and felt herself lean into him. "How in the world did I find a guy like you?" she asked out loud.</p><p>He shrugged "Maybe I’m your reward." he laughed.</p><p>But she didn’t think it was all that funny at all.</p><p>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</p><p>"They got away." one of the demons said.</p><p>Lindsey looked up from his desk and sighed "We let them go, that is not getting away."</p><p>The other demon said "But we had 'em."</p><p>Shaking his head Lindsey got up from his desk and began to walk around it "Look boys, you are going to have to seriously stop watching bad gangster films or something. Because 'We had 'em.' is just going to make me tear your head off." They both swallowed and shot a glance to each other. He sat on the edge of the desk and thought for a moment "Have you ever fished?" they both shook thei head with a look "Neither have I." the main demon said waving his hand "Rode a guy once though that fished a lot. And I learned something while shredding his mind for info." he leaned in to them "What you do is get your line and bait it. You toss it out and wait. Sometimes you get a great big fish and you're thrilled. But sometimes you end up with an ok fish, little on the small side. Now you know there are bigger fish out there. And you didn't get up at o dark thirty for little fish. So what do you do?"</p><p>"Throw it back?" one of them said.</p><p>"Keep trying?" the other one added.</p><p>Lindsey's hands lashed out and grabbed both of their heads by the hair "You bait the line with the small fish and wait. See the bait you have, isn't calling to the bigger fish. So use bigger bait." he slammed their heads together with a truly sickening wet clonk. They both staggered back as their hosts bleed profusely.</p><p>"We don't want some of the pieces. We don't want most of them. We want them all." he growled getting up "So you tell me, do you just want a slayer and a Winchester or do you want a slayer and two Winchesters?" he began to grin "Cause where you have two Winchesters...the third is soon to follow."</p><p>He had to admit the laughing was a bit much, but he was in an evil mood. So he went with it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When she woke the school was on the horizon. She stretched the best she could without punching the driver on accident. She grabbed for her Coke before it could fall from her lap. She bet she looked like a chick that had been sleeping in the front seat of a car after an exorcism. She certainly felt like it.</p><p>She sat up rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She looked over and saw that, since life was never fair, Dean looked as fresh as he had when she dozed off. Yawning, she said "Don’t you ever sleep?"</p><p>He smirked at her "Eveready bunny baby. Keeps on going."</p><p>She smiled as she rolled down the window. It was twisted how hot Dean could make her even when he was just joking. It was just her luck that the first guy to turn her head like whiplash had to be consistently that hot. Eveready bunny. "We’ll have to give that nickname a test soon." The air smelt terrific as it came rushing in. The smell of Los Angeles was fading out and she was feeling the healing in a big way. Getting her energy back. Recalling where and to whom they were heading, she tipped a smile to Dean. "You call him?"</p><p>He nodded "Yeah. I think I can find his dorm. Damn school’s bigger than all of Lawrence." he said reading the signs.</p><p>"That where you grew up?" she asked looking over at him.</p><p>His face got dark momentarily "No just where my mom was killed."</p><p>Good God. She felt a pang in her heart and knew it was all because Dean was hurt. An old hurt, but not something you'd just walk off. He carried that. Missing his mother, trying to avenge her death. She paused for a moment and then moved over to kiss him on the cheek quickly. He looked over at her in shock "What was that for?"</p><p>She smirked back and then sobered, saying quietly. "Cause you were in pain." she shrugged "Thought that’s what girlfriends do." she said going back to the window. Maybe he needed his space.</p><p>He grabbed her and pulled her back</p><p>Or not.</p><p>"Girlfriend?" he asked with a grin.</p><p>Not so sure of herself, let alone that word, Faith raised an eyebrow, saying with a hint of challenge. "You said it first."</p><p>He smiled "I guess I did." and he kissed her back. A soft kiss to her cheek that did things to her that had lots of xs in neon letters dancing in her head.</p><p>"Taking it back?" she asked cautiously.</p><p>"Do I look like I am taking it back?" he asked looking at the road signs as he pulled her closer somehow.</p><p>She had to admit he didn’t. She was grappling with this new dimension in her life and trying to get some bearing on it. But it was all new territory for her. Being his girl. Seeing that it meant something to Dean to say it. He treated her differently and managed to make her stare as if she had never seen a male before. If he wasn't so easy to look at, it'd be embarrassing.</p><p>"Ok this should be it." he said pulling to a parking lot. He drove near the buildings as he circled slowly.</p><p>The dorms were pretty standard. Students stacked up and packed in, the grass a vibrant green spilling over the campus. It was a nice set up. She ran her eyes over the collegiates and noticed a really nice student body in particular. She saw a reason for higher education.</p><p>She whistled, looking at the outstanding male student with a salacious grin. "Damn…I should have gone to college."</p><p>Dean stopped the car by the student and she looked over at him in panic "What are you doing?"</p><p>Dean leaned over towards the open window "Hey dude!"</p><p>The guy looked into the car "Yeah?"</p><p>"This chick thinks you’re hot." he said with a smile.</p><p>The guy looked at her as she fought the urge to hit Dean in the mouth "Really?"</p><p>"Drive" she said under her breath.</p><p>"You interested?" Dean said "I can hook you up with a great offer."</p><p>She looked at him in shock as he started to laugh. The guy in the window said "Sorry bout that, my brother is an ass." she looked over at the cute kid in the window as he extended his hand "I’m Sam, you must be Faith."</p><p>Faith shook his giant hand lightly, only half kidding in her whispered reply. "Kill me now."</p><p>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</p><p>After they had parked, Sam took them to the common dining room. He flashed his ID and told the cafeteria staff that the two behind him were guests. Five bucks later Sam handed them two trays "Help yourself, breakfast is almost over." he said. Faith chuckled as she saw Dean looking around like a kid in a candy store.</p><p>"How much?" he said, trying not to drool.</p><p>Sam chuckled "It’s all you can eat."</p><p>Dean turned one way and then the other in confusion before he headed in a completely different direction.</p><p>Sam laughed "He should be gone for awhile." he said grabbing some fruit and placing it on his tray.</p><p>Faith didn’t know what to say as she grabbed a pastry and some milk "I don’t think he ate the whole way up." she murmured. But he let me sleep, she added in her mind. It was easier to sleep with Dean there and she should probably think about that. Ramifications and all. He made her feel secure in his company and it was weird. Never happened before. She smiled slightly to Sam. "He drove straight through, he has to be starving."</p><p>"That’s a first." he said grabbing some juice "I’ve seen him chew on a plastic wrapper to get frosting before." he said grabbing some cereal "You want anything else?"</p><p>She did but she didn’t want to seem a pig in front of Dean’s brother. She just shook her head as they took a seat. "So" he said smiling "You are Faith."</p><p>She nibbled on the pastry "The one and only." she said. Why in the hell was she so nervous? Did it matter what Sam thought of her? Yeah. It did some. Which sucked because she was not the best at making a good impression.</p><p>"You come with glowing reviews." he said, which made her look up and then back down slightly blushing. He chuckled as he took a bite of his apple "So you’re a slayer?"</p><p>She nodded This she could handle. "One of the few, the proud."</p><p>Sam laughed, he had a nice laugh "You sound like my dad now." she looked up with questioning eyes "He was a Marine."</p><p>Faith nodded "Ah that makes sense now." she said "He has that…vaguely military thing about him."</p><p>"Dean?" Sam said almost choking on the fruit. He cocked his head as he thought about it "Well I guess so…we both do kinda I guess." he took another bite "Just the way we were raised."</p><p>"You guys came out good." she said still not looking at him.</p><p>He was quiet for a moment as they ate. Finally he said "Look, can I talk to you for a second?"</p><p>She looked up and nodded.</p><p>And Dean sat down "They have an omelet bar!" he said proudly showing the six egg monstrosity he had created "With three kinds of cheese!" he began to dig into it with huge mouthfuls.</p><p>Sam and Faith just watched him consume it like it was air.</p><p>Sam coughed "Right…" he said looking away "So demons?"</p><p>She looked back at him. She could follow his lead here. Safer ground talking work anyway. "Yeah, lots of demons."</p><p>"Tell him about Meg." Dean said with a mouthful of eggs.</p><p>"Meg, daughter of Azazel." she said. Sam didn’t give any notice "Demon with yellow eyes?" Sam’s eyes got wide "Yeah" she said "She doesn’t like you guys at all."</p><p>"What the?" Sam said looking at Dean.</p><p>"That’s what I said." between bites "This is getting weird."</p><p>"Yellow eyes is the one who…" and she paused as they both looked at her. The pain and anger of the loss of their mother was so obvious, so clear on their faces, she just swallowed the rest of her sentence "…the one who did it?"</p><p>Sam nodded as Dean went back to eating "Yeah. But why come back now?"</p><p>She shrugged "No idea. But he’s collecting potential Slayers like they were handbags."</p><p>"And he wants her." Dean said finishing off his plate "In a bad way."</p><p>Sam sat there and thought as Dean got up "Anyone want anything?" Faith had finished her plate but was ok, Sam just shook his head "Ok be right back." and the elder brother took off for seconds.</p><p>After a few seconds of silence Faith said "What did you want to talk about?" though she was pretty sure the stay away from my brother speech wasn’t far off.</p><p>"Oh yeah" Sam said looking uncomfortable "Well…" he took a deep breath "Ok. Look, you seem real nice." and she knew where this was going, but she listened anyways "And being a Slayer and all…I mean you’re different obviously. But still…"</p><p>"Are you going somewhere with this Sam?" she said in a rougher tone than she meant. Maybe she should tell him he didn't have to mince words with her. But he looked so heartfelt that she let him work it out.</p><p>He sighed and tried again "My brother, he isn’t the dating type. He isn’t the 'go out and hold hands' kind of guy." she froze "I don’t want you to be hanging around waiting for him to call you back or to say you’re his girlfriend or not. Cause he doesn’t do that. Ever. Dean likes people…well girls…a lot. And I just am warning you now so you don’t get to thinking that he is the holding hands, kissy kind of guy. If we are going to be on a case, I don’t want there to be any mixed signals that can screw us up." he sounded so serious "Just to warn you. It's not you. It's a Dean thing. He just isn’t wired that way."</p><p>Dean didn’t do that? 'That' being all he had been doing, right? He could kiss her until they were both dizzy from it and then they were back to work. He had not pressured her for anything more, as if he too was feeling his way in the dark on what they were together. If he never had a girlfriend- then what did that make her? The exception or the rule? Her head was spinning as Dean sat down again, placing another roll in front of Faith "Here" he said "You were giving my omelet a look, so I got you something else."</p><p>She nodded but didn’t feel much like eating anymore. She had too many questions.</p><p>"So now what?" Dean asked digging into his bowl of cereal.</p><p>"Well, we need to find a way to find the girls." Sam said as if Faith and him had never talked "That would mean a spell or a mystic."</p><p>"Where we find that?" Dean asked with a full mouth.</p><p>"Ask dad?" Sam offered.</p><p>"No" Dean said quickly "We aren’t getting him involved yet. This is my job, I can handle it."</p><p>Sam rolled his eyes "Dean you can ask for help. Doesn’t mean you can’t handle it."</p><p>Dean looked at him "No, Sam, that is exactly what it means. You try something and can’t do it, you ask for help. Meaning you can’t do it by yourself." he shook his head "No way, no dad yet."</p><p>Sam sighed "We could call Bobby then."</p><p>Dean nodded "Bobby I don’t mind using."</p><p>"Still asking for help." Sam muttered finishing his apple.</p><p>Dean drained his bowl "Shut up" he got up "Anyone want anything else?"</p><p>"You’re going back for more?" Sam asked.</p><p>Dean looked at him "It’s all you can eat right?" Sam nodded "Then what do you think?"</p><p>Sam shook his head as his brother ran off after more food. He looked over at Faith "You ok?" he asked "I know it sounds…"</p><p>The way Sam tried to talk to her like she might be writing emo poetry in her head was getting to her. She could set him straight without putting her hands on him. She was learning how to do that. "You’re wrong." she said looking at him "You’re wrong about your brother."</p><p>He paused "I am?" he sounded amused. Unconvinced. No one knew Dean better than he did, but maybe Faith had to come around to that universal truth..</p><p>"You are." she said more forcefully "Your brother likes women. Big deal. I like men. Doesn’t make me a slut, makes me a woman who has a healthy appetite. But if everyone walked around assuming that I was nothing more than what I looked like, then no one would ever even ask me out. No big expectations. They’d just assume I was out a for a fuck and that was it."</p><p>"I know that but..." Sam started.</p><p>"No offense Sam, but you talked already. My turn." she said and his mouth closed "Dean isn’t the one dimensional, sex addict, wise cracking fool you think he is. He is more than that. He is deep, he is smart and you know what? He’s the most romantic person I’ve met in my life." Sam’s eyes were wide now "So I don’t take kindly to someone coming in and telling me that everything I know about the guy is either false or a line. Because it isn’t." she lowered her voice some "You may be his brother and know him pretty well…but trust me on this…you don’t know him at all."</p><p>Sam was looking at her with an odd expression. Part bemusement, part concern. Whatever it meant would wait as a pretty blond walked up to the table and stood there "Hi Sam."</p><p>Sam looked over to her and instantly his expression changed. Faith saw his eyes go grow large and his expression change to one of bewilderment "Um, hi Jessica." he stammered.</p><p>"Did you get the notes from Mr. Prosser’s class?" she asked looking at Faith. The eyes said 'back off' with a side of 'mine'. It didn't help Jessica's mood that Faith just stared back at her with smoky eyes assessing and unimpressed.</p><p>"Um…yeah…wait no. I mean…" he stopped "We watched a movie yesterday, there were no notes." he said in confusion "Were there?"</p><p>She laughed completely fake "Oh, that’s right. I forgot." she looked right at Faith now "Hi I’m Jessica. I'm Sam's friend."</p><p>"Faith" she answered, full lips curving slowly.</p><p>"Do you go to school here?" Jess asked a little sharply. Her voice sounded too chirpy to her own ears, strained by her nerves.</p><p>Faith smirked. She ran her eyes over Jessica from head to toe, laughing lightly at how very perky and possessive the girl was. Like she was about to scent mark Sam's sneaker any second. "Do I look like I go to school here?"</p><p>Jessica was taken aback and said under her breath "Not unless we teach stripping." She turned back to Sam "Oh, well see you in class today?"</p><p>Sam stuttered "Um no…I’m taking off with my brother…but.."</p><p>"Oh" she said quickly "Well have fun." she said. Her about face was sharp and cutting. She wanted this Faith to realize she was being dismissed. Jessica's heels clicked over the floor as she took off in a cloud of sweet perfume and disapproval.</p><p>Sam groaned and put his head down on the table. Faith chuckled "She likes you."</p><p>"What?" he asked looking up.</p><p>Faith pointed "That girl? She is into you."</p><p>Sam looked at her with a crooked look "How do you know?"</p><p>She smiled "Well I am a girl, Sam." he didn’t look convinced "She came over here for notes that didn’t exist and then to find out who I am." she said "Trust me Sammy, she is way into you."</p><p>"Sam" he said under his breath, but he was watching Jessica walking away. Looking back to Faith "Really?"</p><p>She just nodded "Oh yeah."</p><p>Dean sat down "They got ice cream!" he said smiling "For breakfast! Man, I love college." and he started eating.</p><p>Faith started to reach over to rub the small of Dean's back as he was diving into his ice cream, but Sam looked at her hand and she never made contact. She did not want Sam to think she was clingy. Or that she could not keep her head together because she was too busy angsting over Dean. It was no small thing to not touch Dean, but she could manage. She tore the roll he had brought her into pieces and finished it off with some coffee. Once she had watched Dean chase the last sprinkle with his spoon, she nodded to Sam.</p><p>"I am assuming you have a shower? Can I use it? I need a shower so bad it's killing me."</p><p>Sam nodded, not sure what he thought when Dean's hand dropped to Faith's knee and rested there. Not like he was grabbing her either. It was more like comforting.</p><p>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</p><p>Jessica and her friend walked into the bathroom as two girls were walking out "Did you see the guy at the omelet station?" one of them said.</p><p>"I know! Those jeans…and that jacket…" the other agreed.</p><p>"I tried to talk to him but he just moved past me for the cheese…" and the door closed.</p><p>Jessica looked in the mirror "I’m disgusting."</p><p>Her friend smiled "Oh come on Jess, you’re fine."</p><p>She looked over at her "Fine? Fine isn’t a freaking stripper in leather pants." she said rolling her eyes "Dear god did you see her?" she said sitting on the sink "I am never going to match with that."</p><p>Her friend said sympathetically "He might not be going out with her."</p><p>Jess looked at her "No but he sure in the hell is screwing her." she turned around and looked at her reflection again "I swear, I have been trying to get Sam’s attention for weeks and now I find he likes sluts."</p><p>Her friend looked in her own mirror and checked her hair "Come on Jess, Sam wouldn’t know if someone was flirting with him if they dropped a brick on him." she looked back to Jessica "That girl isn’t his type."</p><p>Jess looked at her "Then what’s his type."</p><p>She smiled "You" and she looked at her phone "Shit we’re going to be late." she said "You coming?"</p><p>Jessica shook her head "I need to reapply my face." she said "I’ll catch up."</p><p>"Ok" she said heading to the door "And don’t sweat Sam. He is going to be yours."</p><p>Jessica sighed as she opened her purse "I hope so." The bathroom was quiet as Jessica began to apply her eyeliner. A trail of smoke drifted in from the window, curling behind her like a snake. Jessica looked in the mirror and sighed at her reflection "Useless" She gasped as the smoke jumped down her throat, she was thrown back into the door of one of the stalls as she fought with the force.</p><p>Seconds later she stopped and stood up slowly.</p><p>She looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes black as a shadow. She smiled with cold malice "Oh I love what you’ve done with the place." she said as she grabbed the eyeliner and began applying some more "Mind if I touch up some?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Part Nine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sam began to walk them across campus to his dorm room. If he noticed Dean and her holding hands he didn’t say. "My roommate should be in class, so we can get in and out without anyone noticing."</p><p>"You have a roommate?" Dean asked. Sam nodded but said nothing "You never mentioned that."</p><p>Sam shrugged "Nothing to mention." but obviously there was.</p><p>Faith looked between the brothers and knew they were doing the in-their-heads dialogue at each other from the looks on their faces. So was not hers to ask about. She was imagining hot water and soap. There would be hot water.</p><p>As they got to the dorm building Dean looked up and whistled at the seven stories "How many guys live in here?"</p><p>"Guy and girls, Dean." Sam clarified "It’s a co-ed dorm."</p><p>Dean looked at him in shock "Chicks? You live with chicks?" he looked over at Faith "No one told me college was this cool."</p><p>Sam chuckled as he unlocked his door "Co-ed in the building, not the rooms, perv." he said "There’s a girls' shower on the far end of the hall." Sam explained to Faith "I got some towels."</p><p>They walked into the small room, half of it was immaculate while the other looked like someone threw a grenade at it. Dean was not the least bit shocked to see Sam pull a towel from the clean side. "Your roommate a pig?" he asked jerking a thumb at the other side.</p><p>"Not as much as my previous one." Sam said deadpanned. Dean blinked a few times before he got it and swung at his brother’s shoulder as Sam dodged. "My roommate is ok I guess." Sam said fidgeting with the towel before handing it to her "I can dig up a sweatshirt I think." he said looking in his footlocker "But as for jeans…"</p><p>She smiled "It’s cool. I don’t think these are past the expiration date yet." Sam handed her a Stanford sweatshirt about fifteen sizes too big, but it was clean so it was something. "Be back in five." she said smiling and walking out. Both brothers watched her leave.</p><p>"Now that" Dean said pointing at the door "is an amazing woman." he finished, jumping on Sam’s bed with his hands behind his head.</p><p>Sam swatted Dean’s boots off his bed "Yeah, she’s…" Sam searched for the right words "…different."</p><p>Dean looked up "What’s your problem?"</p><p>Sam shook his head as he looked back innocently "Nothing." he saw the look on Dean’s face "Nothing at all." Dean glared "Seriously, nothing!"</p><p>Dean sighed "So what’s with this roommate?"</p><p>Sam said nothing, but he was keeping his head down like he could make himself smaller and divert Dean's attention if he held still. Like Dean was a T-Rex and could only see him if he moved or something. "I mean looks like he isn’t keeping his side of the room all that neat." Dean looked at Sam "You lay down the law yet?"</p><p>Sam rolled his eyes "I’m not here to law down anything, Dean." when he saw his older brother’s look, Sam felt a little happy about it, but quashed that. This was not the world he had left behind. This was college, where normal kids did not have machetes under their beds. He still had his knife, yeah, but that didn't mean Dean needed to bust heads on his account. "Let it go Dean, I just want to be normal."</p><p>Dean sighed as he closed his eyes "Whatever." he said feeling the drive up here finally catching up with him. He could argue with Sam after some shut-eye. Always time to distress Samantha. "It’s your problem."</p><p>Sam looked at Dean for a few seconds before he realized that his brother was dozing off. He crept out of his room to call his friend to tell him he was ditching classes and taking off early for the weekend. If he ever wanted to get into law school, Sam needed every advantage he could find.</p><p>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</p><p>Dean was well into that kind of sleep where you are close to dead when someone kicked his boot.</p><p>His eyes jerked open in a flash as a muscle-bound jock stood over him.</p><p>The guy's face was angry as he asked "Who the fuck are you?"</p><p>Dean’s eyebrow shot up as his mind engaged back to waking. He had to remind himself that he could deal with this annoyance without throwing punches.</p><p>"Answer me, shithead." the guy said "Who are you and why the fuck are you in my room?"</p><p>Dean didn’t as much budge as he said "Well this is Sam’s room also isn’t it?" No sense in causing problems for Sam just cause his roommate was a douche bag.</p><p>"Oh, I get it." the guy said sneering "You his fucking boyfriend or something?"</p><p>The guy never saw Dean swing his foot off the bed and connect with his knee. He went down like a sack of potatoes as Dean flipped off the bed and landed behind the florid-faced loudmouth on the carpet. Dean pushed the asshole’s shoulder into the floor as he said in a growl "What’s your name, skippy?"</p><p>"Derek" the guy said wincing as his knee began to swell.</p><p>"I don't think so. I'm gonna call you Chet" Dean said "Here’s your lesson for today Chet. I’m Sam’s brother and you’re dogshit." the guy paused at the sound of menace in the not-so-sleepy-now guy's voice "Now, I am not sure what kind of bullshit arrangement you have going with my brother, but I have a feeling he is being real nice with you so far." Dean notched up the guys arm behind his back another inch "But me? I am not a nice guy." the guy whimpered as his arm throbbed "So here’s the thing. I find out you’re giving him shit, not doing your part or even looking at him cross eyed, I’m gonna come back here and shove your own leg up your ass." the guy grew silent "Got it Chet?"</p><p>Derek nodded his head quickly.</p><p>Dean paused and then hit the guys head again "Why do you have to be such a wanker Chet?" the guy was frozen under him in shock "Get it?" Dean smiled "I should give you a set of elephant balls?" the guy shook his head no quickly. Dean sighed "Weird Science man..." he got up off the guy."Whatever.. Now do yourself a favor and get the fuck out of here." he said hopping back on Sam’s bed "Some people are trying to get some rest here."</p><p>Derek looked at Dean and then backed out of the room slowly, his eyes wide. He ran into Sam as he was walking in.</p><p>"Derek?" Sam asked in shock.</p><p>"Sam!" his roommate said jumping back "Um…sorry." he said quickly "I’ll just..I mean…" and he turned and took off down the hall. Sam walked in confused as hell as he saw Dean still lying on the bed looking asleep. Sam looked down the hall as his roommate kept running.</p><p>"What the hell was that?" he said to himself, never noticing the small grin on Dean’s face.</p><p>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</p><p>Faith had to admit, the shower was a good idea.</p><p>She was in longer than she had planned, but there was something about suspecting you might have blood under your nails that could really make you linger in the steam. She cleaned her nails thoroughly, recalling Meg working her hands. Testing her out to see how far she could go, what she could do. The strain of it all had been enough to make Faith wobbly on her feet- and need to sleep like a brick. If she had not been with Dean, she would have had to hole up somewhere and hope nothing came calling. Which did not lend itself to real rest. But she was feeling her Wheaties again, rejuvenated. She was clean and had food in her belly.</p><p>Engulfed in Sam’s oversized sweatshirt she almost felt like a new person. A new person who had a lot of questions for Dean Winchester. Her speech to Sam had been reflex, but she was wondering now. Was this real? It seemed real. Every time she looked at Dean he seemed to be stumbling through this as well as she was. But what if this was just a thing…</p><p>She was driving herself crazy and she knew it.</p><p>Maybe over-analyzing would be the straw that broke the camel's back, and she would hate herself for it later. She could blame it on her training- say she was forced to be a person that questioned everything and had some trust issues- but that wouldn't make it fair. It would not hurt less because she chose to blame herself. Dean meant something to her already and she hated the thought of every moment she got in deeper with him it was another inch an invisible guillotine was lifting over her neck.</p><p>This wasn’t so much about what Sam had said and about the voices in the back of her head telling her she was always going to be the whore and alone.</p><p>It was funny how much those voices sounded like her mother sometimes.</p><p>This was about wondering if she wanted Dean so badly that she was throwing herself on the train tracks and crossing fingers and toes that it would work. It made her undercut herself when she considered how she didn't have anything to offer Dean. Because deep down, Faith didn't believe 'she' was enough on her own. The people around her had always instilled in her a need to serve and suffer, bleed a little- or a lot- and try to make a dent in their overall bad opinion. She was a self-fulfilling prophecy in some ways, believing that she was bad and letting it come true.</p><p>She saw a some guy in a football jersey rush past her muttering something to himself as she walked back to the room. She walked in and saw Sam sitting at his desk while Dean slept. Sam smiled as she looked over at his brother dozing. "He’s beat." he whispered.</p><p>"He drove all night." she said marveling at how young he looked asleep.. All his lines and creases went away, making him look…she shook her head at that thought. She wanted to curl up next to Dean, put her arm around him and hold him as he slept. But there was Sam, and they had some more talking to do. She was still a Slayer, after all.</p><p>She gestured to Sam to come out to the hall with her. He followed as they quietly closed the door "That mystic thing?" she said "It isn’t going to work."</p><p>"It won’t?" he said questioningly.</p><p>She shook her head "We got a pretty powerful witch back at the ranch." she explained "And if there was a way to find the potentials by spell, she would have found them already."</p><p>Sam bit his bottom lip as he mused on that. He was not even saying what John, his father and mentor- would think of his boys having any dealings with witches. Best to let that go for the moment. "Hmmm…well if magic is out we will need to do it the hard way."</p><p>"Bust ass and take names?" she said.</p><p>He grinned "Dean always said ‘Kicking ass and taking initials, cause names take too long to get.’" they both laughed at that. After a second he said "You really like him don’t you?"</p><p>She nodded, this time not feeling shy at all "I really do."</p><p>Sam took that and smiled "He seems different." he said "More…relaxed?" he finally shrugged "Not sure, but he does seem different. I may have been wrong."</p><p>She shrugged herself "It’s ok, you’re looking out for your brother, I get it."</p><p>Sam smiled "I was actually looking out for you." he leaned in "Dean is one of those indestructible types."</p><p>Faith nodded but internally she thought this boy didn’t know much about Dean at all. Serious hero worship. She was about to say something when shots rang out somewhere outside.</p><p>They looked at each other in shock for a moment and began to run towards the hall window. They got two steps when Dean burst out of the room "What the?" he followed as they all looked down and saw three campus security cars surrounding the book store.</p><p>"Hell of a school you got, Sammy." Dean said grumbling from being woken up. Again.</p><p>Faith looked down as she felt her stomach clench. That could only mean one thing: trouble. "Something’s up." she said not able to look away.</p><p>"Something how?" Sam asked.</p><p>"Something bad. Something... worse than a cash till getting robbed." she clarified as a female came out of the bookstore, holding another female in a head lock. It was obvious the first girl had a gun to the other. Both Winchesters squinted their eyes to look but Faith already knew who the girls were. At least, one of them.. "Um Sam…" he looked at her "That’s Jessica down there with the gun." She saw his face go pale. She shook her head "I’m sorry, that is someone wearing Jessica’s body down there with the gun."</p><p>"Crap" Was all Dean could say knowing, this had just become their problem.</p><p>Faith rolled up the sleeves of her borrowed sweatshirt and started for the doors, feeling less sleek than usual. Excess billowy cotton could really slow a girl's roll. They were on their way to the bookstore as if they had been specifically paged there. She reached over to Dean and then her hand slid down his back, taking one of his knives that he kept right there, pressed between the waist of his jeans and the curve of his ass. The dagger was warm from him and she smiled at how he glanced her way.</p><p>"Mind if I use this?"</p><p>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</p><p>They got out of Sam's dorm and there were now five campus security cars around the book store. As the Winchesters were surveying the scene Faith started walking across the parking lot. Dean grabbed the edge of the sweatshirt "Whoa" he said pulling her back "What are you going to do? Rush in there and just hit her?"</p><p>Faith looked back at him and nodded. The plan sounded strong even said aloud."Something like that."</p><p>Dean smiled despite himself "How about something a bit more subtle." he looked over to Sam "We're gonna need something federal. You got it?"</p><p>Sam nodded and ran towards the Impala. Dean looked back at Faith "Ok wait for us to get their attention then go in through the roof. Best bet at not being seen." he leaned in "Emphasis on not being seen?"</p><p>She saw the twinkle in his eye, he was enjoying this on some level. They might be tired and a little off kilter from this feeling burgeoning between them, but Dean still liked a good fight. Or a bad fight he would be good at. She wanted to bite him in nice ways. "What?" she had to ask.</p><p>He shrugged "Kinda cool having a girl that is actually going to go hunt something with me." he said with that little kid's smile "It's kinda hot."</p><p>She laughed and kissed him, she had to. There was no other way. He was looking at her like she had just hung a star in the sky and it made her crave his kiss, now.</p><p>He kissed her back and for the moment the entire world stopping spinning. There was no demon, no police, nothing. Just her and him...and that was enough.</p><p>"Ahem" a cough came from behind them. Sam was standing there holding a police badge out to Dean trying desperately to look like he wasn't caring.</p><p>Dean took the badge and rolled his eyes "Take a picture, sasquatch." he said tucking it in his pocket. Looking back to Faith he said "Ok, give us five minutes and you're in."</p><p>She nodded and then looked at Sam "Don't worry, I won't hurt Jessica." She wanted to reassure him, because he didn't know her. He might be thinking she had a yen for hurting busty co-eds, and that wasn't the case. It really wasn't her favorite fight. She gave Dean a last dark smile before bolting from them.</p><p>Though Sam said nothing, he visibly sighed in relief as she took off. As she vanished in the trees Sam said "She is something."</p><p>Dean look up at his brother and paused "I will break you in ways not yet known to man." Sam held up his hands and he laughed. Dean took off directly towards the cops, Sam in tow.</p><p>They got within three steps of the scene before a campus cop held out his hand "Sorry boys, can't come this way."</p><p>Dean flashed the badge out before the guy had finished with his 'boys'.. "FBI" he said folding the badge back "We have a problem here?"</p><p>The cop looked at him and then Sam and then back to Dean "Are you serious?"</p><p>Dean gave him THAT look. It was the look John had drilled into both boys when dealing with law enforcement and it always worked "Look bud, we have a perp with a gun in there and possible hostages and I do not have time to argue with rent-a-cops. So tell me what the hell is going on or the best you'll get when this is done is a crosswalk."</p><p>The guy stiffened at his tone and Sam hid a grin as the guy began to explain how Jessica had gone into the book store, took one of the cashiers with a gun and dragged her out into the open saying that if anyone went into the store she would start killing people.</p><p>"No demands? Nothing?" Dean asked.</p><p>The cop shook his head "Nothing, she won't even answer the phone."</p><p>Dean pulled out his pistol "Ok, hold the perimeter and keep everyone back." he said looking back to Sam who had grabbed a piece from the trunk with the IDs. "You ready?" Sam nodded as they started going up the main walkway. Dean made a hand gesture and Sam broke off to circle around back.</p><p>As Dean opened the front door he could see people huddling on the ground looking at him. He held the door open and jerked his head as he watched for Jessica. He got six people out before he heard a female voice call out "Were you raised in a barn, Dean? Come in and close the fucking door or I blow this bitch away."</p><p>Dean pushed the last girl out and closed the door, inching his way into the book store. In the center stood Jessica holding another girl in her arms, gun pointed to her head "See? Isn't a strong woman a turn on?" she said cocking her head.</p><p>Dean locked eyes with her and smirked "Don't know, I'll let you know when I see a woman around."</p><p>Her smile faded as she paused "You're a real pain the ass you know?" she said slowly "Where's your brother? Am sure he is around here somewhere." she called out "Come on out, Sam, or this girl gets a bellybutton right in her forehead."</p><p>Out of nowhere Sam edged out, his gun pointed at her as well. It was almost impossible to believe anyone that tall could be so quiet, yet there he was "I'm here." he called out never taking his eyes off of her either.</p><p>"Awww" she cooed "A family reunion. How sweet." she smiled "Now where's the whore?"</p><p>"Here" Faith said directly behind her.</p><p>Meg spun around in shock but Faith's hand was quicker. She knocked the gun out of the possessed girl's grip as Sam leapt and grabbed the hostage out of the way. Dean began to move to the right, keeping a straight shot between his site and her head as Meg took a swing at Faith.</p><p>The Slayer blocked it with a grin, her hand wrapping around Jessica's. It was a human body being used, so Faith kept from crushing the hand inside her own. "Not so easy on the outside is it?" she said catching the punch and spinning the demon around with one twist. Sam rushed the last of the hostages out as Faith, holding Jessica's arm behind her back looked at Dean "We have any ideas?"</p><p>Dean nodded as Sam came running back "We're clear." he said.</p><p>Dean never even blinked from Meg's gaze, his eyes and hers were as one "Faith hold her tight." he said "Sam...Latin. Now."</p><p>Faith grabbed the other arm as Meg struggled, making sure not to let the demon somehow break the girl's arms to escape as Sam turned around and held out one hand. Faith kept her body tight to Jessica's, muffling every struggling effort with the least amount of pressure. She had promised Sam, after all. The younger brother made the sign of the cross over Jess as he murmured "Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus " Meg's eyes shot open, pure black, as she looked at Sam "Omnis satanica potestas" he incited as Meg's whole body shook. Faith felt the demon buckle and try to slip under her so Faith threw her to the ground, holding her there with one arm in the small of her back. Faith felt some sympathy for Jessica, because she knew this wasn't a comfortable way to cozy up to Sam Winchester. It wasn't really first date material and the girl had to be scared in there somewhere. "Omnis incursio infernalis adversarii" Smoke began to pour out of Jessica's form as Faith began to strain to keep her steady. The demon was making the host writhe like a bag of snakes in her grip.</p><p>"Hurry up, Sam" she said through gritted teeth. The girl's body was shaking all over as she fought to be free.</p><p>"Omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica" Sam said as something began to rise out of Jessica's mouth.</p><p>And then a blur hit Faith from above.</p><p>She was completely flatfooted. One second she was holding the girl's body for all it she was worth and the next something slammed into her back. It hurt, which told Faith right away the person knew how to fight. Go for those pressure points and make them count. She rolled to the side, her back and legs screaming in pain. Dean dropped his shot as Faith fell to the side, the girl who had jumped down looked to Jessica "Run!"</p><p>Meg looked up in confusion and took off towards the door. Sam took a step to stop her and the blond girl grabbed his outstretched arm and spun him to the ground "Back off grabby." she said slamming all 6'3" of Sam into the ground.</p><p>Faith snarled as the demon bound Jessica was gone and Sam was hitting the ground. She felt the muscle spasms along her back and legs as she hissed over her bared teeth. They had been so fucking close. So close.</p><p>Dean heard the front door click open and close as he knelt down to check Faith. Faith shook her head minimally at Dean and told him with her eyes she'd be okay in a moment. Then she was going OFF.</p><p>The newly arrived girl looked at the three of them with a smugness that made Dean want to backhand her and said "It's ok, I got it under control. You're safe now. I'm Buffy and I'm here to stop her." she said pointing to Faith.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You are playing games." the voice said from the basin of blood.</p><p>Azazel sighed as he dangled one finger on the surface of the liquid "Games is a harsh word." he said knowing where this conversation was going.</p><p>"You have the potentials" the voice demanded "Why don't you simply use them?"</p><p>He sat up from the desk and growled into the basin "Because we have no guarantee they can survive as a host!" He took a deep breath and said "Lilith dear" he gripped the sides of the metal container "I know you want the seals broken and I know you think that the senior partners can help." and his voice got low "But if we try to insert that thing into a vessel not capable of holding it we not only run the risk of destroying but sealing this dimension off from their influence." he stood straight up and closed his eyes "We are only going to have one shot at this, I want it to work." he looked out the window and saw the sun begin to dip below the city skyline "And that means a slayer, a full slayer." he looked at his reflection overladed across the city and liked the image "A slayer that can be corrupted."</p><p>"We cannot break the seals without their help." Lilith's voice called out from the depth.</p><p>He waved his hand "We can, but this is the easier way. With the senior partners help the seals will be child's play and our lord will walk free." he sat back in the chair "So patience my dear sister, Meg will bring the slayer back and with her both Winchesters. And once we have them all..." he looked into the basin "...then we can recreate the conduit for the senior partners...welcoming Wolfram and Hart back into L.A." he sighed contently "Hell on Earth and the enslavement of the entire human race. Not bad work for a couple days work." he conjured an apple from midair and took a bite "I mean honestly...who takes seven days to do anything any more?"</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>